


A Chance Beyond Reality

by SoulofHorus



Series: Crossover Stories [2]
Category: Destiny (Video Games), Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: A lot of slow happening here, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Romance, Awkward Tension, Canon-Typical Violence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Halo: Reach, Let's be honest I'm breaking all sorts of canon, Lil bit of Hand Holding, Minor Violence, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, developing feelings, light - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2020-12-31 07:33:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 172,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21116396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoulofHorus/pseuds/SoulofHorus
Summary: Two unlikely people are given a chance. Faye Lockhart, or also known as Spartan B312, or Noble Six and Sebastian 'Seb' Rutherford, a Guardian of the Last City meet by unexpected means.Okay, that's partially a lie. Seb decided to go tinkering around with Vex portals and ended up on the Planet Reach in the year 2552. Yet, Faye can't help but start to develop something for Sebastian that she never thought possible. Something that should not be possible for someone as deadly as herself.FeelingsAnd who is to say that the feeling isn't mutual? Love waits for no one, not even for the battlefield.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Step one: Establish Canon Divergence in Tags.
> 
> Step Two: Tell them in Notes.
> 
> Step Three: Read
> 
> Step Four (Optional): IF this is not your story, ok.
> 
> I need to establish this because I'd rather say this is straight up, I'm stepping into a lot of unknown territories, so bear with me.

Another day, another reassignment. Spartan B312, otherwise known as Faye Lockhart, has been reassigned _ again _ with a new Spartan deployment, callsign Noble. There is one good thing about this reassignment. One of her old squad members from growing up, Catherine, or Spartan B320, will be there. It has been quite a long time since she has seen her.

Ever since the Office of Naval Intelligence, or ONI, pulled B312 from Beta company, she was used as their personal hitwoman, suppressing insurrectionists, quelling uprisings, all while her emotions were blank. Training killed any forms of emotion except they kept the loyalty, but with loyalty comes morality.

Faye knew those people were only doing what they thought was right, which was openly defying the UNSC. So, Faye did what she had to do, and when she was done, not a single soul lived to tell the tale. That’s what ONI wanted. Morally, Faye is disgusted with herself but with all emotions numbed, she can’t help but not feel anything, even as she looked into the eyes of those people and saw pure terror.

The Warthog's engine revved, bringing Faye out of her thoughts as she stared into the reflection of her armor, the gold visor staring back at her. Her murky brown eyes and midnight, shoulder-length black hair looking back at her, showing the true face of a killer, one who has no emotion, no remorse and if she was honest with herself, no sense of purpose. Speaking of her hair, she had to tie it up in order for it to not get stuck in front of her eyes. Her vision is important on the battlefield. Faye pulled a small hair tie from her pouch on her chest plate and tied her hair in a tight bun where a single strand of hair loose. She picked up her helmet and stared at the design, the Mark V variant B with the UA/HUL modification attached and turned it around. She sighed, whether out of exasperation or to calm her nonexistent nerves, she does not know, but soon she slipped her helmet on with a hiss and the armor seals connected, her HUD lighting up and calibrating.

The rest of her armor was pretty basic, all things considered. Her shoulder pads were FJ/Para. Her chest was Tactical/Recon. Her left wrist had the Tactical/UGPS, its screen letting her know her destination was up and coming. Her knee pads were just the defaults. On her left thigh, her utility soft case had pockets for extra ammo and other _ necessary _ items. Her armor color was gunmetal grey. If anything, she should have painted it solid black, since the blood of her enemies would soon be on it, but they did not allow their Spartans to go ‘emo’. Happy thoughts, surely.

With her internal checks over and done with, the Warthog arrived at the little makeshift base. Surprisingly, there were a lot of UNSC personnel roaming about, so when Faye stepped off the Warthog, the driver took off in quite a hurry. Faye chuckled to herself, she was so silent during the ride that the driver probably pissed himself for when she finally acknowledged his presence. This base was pretty high up compared to most places B312 has been. It almost felt like an upgrade… if only she knew how interesting it was really going to get. Her armored hand brushed one of the Falcons that were on their respective landing pads. She also noticed another Spartan loading sniper rounds. From where she was, she could see the tattoos that seemed to extend around his ears and descend down his neck. She paid him no further mind as she headed inside to meet the Commander.

Once she approached the building, a voice was ordering Noble to investigate the Visegrâd Relay that went dark. The voice said there has been no contact since 2600 hours. Well, Faye might have been eavesdropping, but it’s not entirely her fault; that voice was pretty loud.

She passed the threshold, descending a small two-step staircase and she saw quite a cast in front of her. The first one she laid eyes on was the one with the skull visor etched into his actual visor. It is quite the handiwork. The knife on his right shoulder, called a kukri, was sharp. Faye has a small appreciation for knives and that one sure is a beaut. His armor color a shade lighter than hers, but the shoulder pads were colored crimson with white stripes. He screamed close quarters, something that Faye has an affinity for as well. His shotgun laid right up against the wall next to him. From one look, Faye could tell it was a battle-worn M90 CAWS, an excellent choice. 

A robotic arm shot across Faye’s line of sight and it took all her willpower to not throw it over her shoulder, but a familiar face came into view, Catherine. Scars littered her sister’s forehead and the arm was new. Then again, Faye read the after-action report, Tom did not deserve to go out like that. Nevertheless, Faye’s eyebrows raised under her helmet but otherwise remained emotionless. Faye tapped against her thigh in Morse code, _ ‘It’s good to see you again, sister.’ _

Kat’s eyebrows raised in surprise, clearly shocked that Faye remembers her. Kat thought after years of separation and assignments, most of which classified, she would have forgotten about her. Kat replied in Morse code as well, _ ‘Glad to see you alive and breathing, sister.’ _

Kat turned and looked over her shoulder, “Commander,” Kat’s Slavic accent much more pronounced than when they were kids. Two people turned and looked at Faye, the one had his Commando helmet on the table in front of him.

“So that’s our new number six?” The tallest one said, his beard well kept. He did not seem like a Spartan-III, unlike the rest of Noble. He seemed more along the lines of a Spartan-II. His armor colors were more of an orange color with the secondary being the crimson that the first person had. So, it seems that it’s true, there are still Spartan-IIs who live.

“Kat?” Both Faye and Kat turned towards Skull visor, “You read her file?”

“Only the parts that weren’t covered in black ink,” she said bored.

“I’m pretty sure my file should not exist with the amount of black ink on it,” Faye said factually surprising everyone in the room, even the Colonel on the line. It should come as no surprise to anyone that Faye’s file is seventy-five percent black ink, and even Faye herself cannot get access to her own file which in her opinion, which apparently does not matter, is stupid. Mostly, Faye just wants to see what ONI covered up in said ink because she remembers everything that she has ever done, every shot, every kill, _ everything _. 

The Commander’s voice broke the split-second silence, “Anyone claim responsibility?”

“Not yet, but ONI thinks it might be the local Innies. Five months ago, on Harmony, a similar job took place, and that cannot happen here. Reach is highly valuable.” A sigh was heard, “I want that relay back online Noble One,” Colonel Holland, the name which Faye learned by looking over at the screen said.

“Consider it done,” he said, and he turned, “Lieutenant.”

“Commander, sir.”

“I’m Carter, Noble team’s leader. That’s Kat, Noble Two, which you seem acquainted with. Then that’s Emile and Jorge, Four and Five. You’re riding with me, Noble Six,” Carter strode past Faye and she followed. “I’m not going to lie to you, you are stepping into some shoes that the rest of the squad would rather leave unfilled.”

“Thought that might have been the case, sir. However, it was not my choice to be here,” Faye said curtly.

“I know it wasn’t but listen, I’ve seen your file, even the parts that the ONI censors forbid me to. That Lone Wolf routine stays behind. We are a team and I expect you to act accordingly,” Carter’s voice rose in volume as the Falcon’s propeller blades picked up speed.

Faye, now Noble Six, sat in the Falcon right next to the Spartan she saw on the way in, assumed to be Noble Three, “Welcome to Reach.”

Faye gave the sharpshooter a curt nod and let her head rest on the interior of the Falcon. She looked over to the other Falcon to see Kat looking right at her, probably seeing if she’s changed, and she has; yet she also hasn’t.

All the pleasant memories came back when Faye and Kat were together back in basic, the times where they were acquired similarly to the Spartan-IIs, but not in the exact same way. When the Spartan-III program launched, they looked for certain biological patterns, ones in their cells or something with their blood type; point being, Faye won the genetic lottery. Faye never truly understood why she was chosen, other than the obvious, but she was only ten when her _ parents _ told her to pack her stuff and go. No explanation, just pack and go. The first person Faye met on base was Kat, and the two girls became best friends, yeah, it’s cliché, but Faye does not have all the time in the world. She looked right at Kat and positioned her fingers on her knee, _ ‘Stop concerning yourself over me. I am still the same girl you met all those years ago.’ _

Kat clenched her fist; Faye rolled her eyes. Kat was always concerned over her, like a big sister warding off the boyfriend who is no good for her. Faye’s shoulders raised in a silent chuckle. Jun, Noble Three, saw the interaction and looked at Kat inquisitively, she waved it off. Meanwhile, Carter, Emile, and Jorge were discussing strategy. Jun listened in, and Kat corrected any misinformation.

The pilot of Six’s Falcon spoke over the comms, _ “Reports have been spotty for the last few hours, there is a potential dark zone, so outside assistance is null and void. You Spartans will be on your own. Not like you’ll need any outside help.” _

_ “Sir, we’ve lost contact with HQ,” _Kat informed the rest of the team, making the pilot’s report accurate.

“Backup channels?” Carter asked, seemingly unconcerned.

_ “Searching… Nada, I can’t tell what is jamming us,” _Kat replied.

“You heard her; we’re going in blind. Eyes up,” Carter ordered. Faye took the pistol off her thigh and checked the ammo, chambered and rechambered a round. She took her MA37 Assault Rifle off her shoulder and thoroughly checked the ammo and display. Carter and Jun watched as silent observers.

Faye knew that the mission came first and the team immediately after, but something tells her this ‘team’ thing will take some time getting used to. The thought both comforted and terrified her. Soon after, Carter told the Pilot to let them down so they could investigate the distress call that was the reason they were brought out here. Six stepped out of the Falcon and took in her surroundings, the green mountain tops were a sight, but she could not lose focus because of something so frivolous. She followed Noble team, except for Jun who was in the Falcon providing the eyes in the sky. Faye noticed movement and reported it in.

“Sir, could it be the Innes?” Faye asked in a whisper, in order to not disclose their location if it was.

Walking down around a corner, which had some houses, not suitable for Insurrectionists, let alone the farmers that they found. Jun found missing IFF tags belonging to Marines that were reported MIA. Faye said nothing and moved on without a second thought. Kat noticed the little things about their newest teammate. While Carter devised a plan, Kat went to Faye.

“You can talk to me you know,” Kat said as she let herself be known as to not scare her. She saw the way Six reacted when she reached across her. She flinched, she looked like she was about to flip Kat out of defensive reflex. Faye made eye contact under the helmet, but said nothing, her posture still stiff, but less so now. “_ Faye, _ you _ can _ talk to me. I don’t know what happened to you, and I never will, but I will be there for you when you need it.”

Faye relented and sighed, “Fine,” Kat turned back to her surprised she even responded. Faye was always a woman of few words. Silent but deadly. Maybe she will warm up to the rest of the team soon enough.

Carter ordered everyone to move out and watch their motion trackers. The eerie silence usually means something is going to happen. Scoping the place out, Faye decided now was a good time to check out one of her new upgrades, Radar enhancements. They extend the range of her radar up to one hundred meters, instead of the normal twenty-five. There were red dots all out the eastern front and it was a lot of them. Faye took point and peeked out the window and sure enough, there was an alien standing there.

It sniffed the air and let out a cry, a battle cry. Faye took out her pistol in her free hand and shot it, killing it before it could finish the cry. “Covenant!” Carter shouted. Faye noticed some stairs to the lower level and went to work. “Weapons free!” So, Faye did just that.

She killed the two Grunts and pulled out her combat knives, freshly sharpened, her blood pumping full of adrenaline. Faye is also one of the fastest Spartan-IIIs to date and one of the most lethal Spartans to ever exist. Faye Lockhart is one of the only Spartan-IIIs to obtain the status ‘Hyper Lethal Vector’, a designation that is hard to achieve and when someone has that designation, one best be on their ‘good’ side. Faye went ripping through the Covenant, knives ripping their skin, tearing through their armor. She enjoyed the thrill of her knives slicing through her enemies, their blood splattering on her armor, only to wash it off and do it all again. The screams of her enemies hitting her ears only drives her further. Each swipe of her knives meant another enemy dead. The adrenaline pumping through her veins fueling her bloodlust. These Covenant were around for twenty-five years beforehand, and they have done some nasty things to Humanity, inflicting insurmountable pain. An Elite tried to challenge her in sword combat, their mistake. 

They tried to simply slice her down, but Faye wanted this _ thing _ out of her way and she was about to, but a sniper shot stopped her advance. Noble Three, from the Falcon, took the shot, _ “Couldn’t let you have all the fun, Six.” _

Faye nodded in return.

The rest of Noble team did not know how to respond but gave the Lieutenant covering fire, killing the ones she missed, and moved up along with her. After crossing a riverbed and killing more Covenant, Faye let her knives fall from her hands and return to their sheaths. The team caught up and they saw quite a glorious sight. Noble Six was basically covered in Covenant blood. She was absolutely covered in purple-violet blood with hints of electric blood accenting the purple. Her visor remained unaffected; she stood there with her weapon at ease. She knew that she ran ahead, she knew that she was lone wolfing it… _ again _ and waited for her disciplinary action.

“I guess the designation was no fluke,” Emile said, almost bored, but with an underlying tone of amusement. Faye smirked; he was warming up to her. It should come as no surprise that Carter was impressed but also annoyed.

“Six, never do that again,” and that was it.

“Yes, sir,” Faye responded, her voice monotone.

Carter asked Auntie Dot, the team’s AI to run heart rate checks on Six. Much to his surprise, even after running through and killing that many Covenant in that short time, Six’s heart rate was less than seventy beats per minute. That much killing would easily set other Spartans over ninety, maybe a hundred, but less than seventy? Noble Six is something else, Carter mused.

A truck was left still functional and Carter ordered Faye to drive and to take Kat and Jorge with her. They were to investigate the area to see if they can find more of the missing Marines. Half of a platoon went missing and they only found a single squad, so far. Jorge was on the back of the truck, looking down at Six, wondering how Kat knows her. It was obvious by the twitching of her fingers when Six first came inside to meet Noble. The rhythmic tapping of their fingers gave away the Morse code. Jorge said nothing during that time and nothing when he noticed it again during the Falcon ride. Kat seemed irritated but dropped it.

Six stopped the truck and hopped out, weapon at the ready. Some of these buildings were abandoned, but Faye’s trackers caught movement. The dot on her tracker said it was white, meaning it is a neutral entity, but whether it is friendly or not remains to be seen. Kat followed Six and they entered the buildings. Jorge remained outside but his eyes scanning.

“Six, what have you got?” Kat asked from next to her.

Six only pointed two fingers to the kitchen and gave her the signals to wait for her go. Six went inside to see no one there, but something was moved. Six checked the tracker and saw it was gone, but the feeling stayed. If it was Covenant, then they would have attacked. They backed off and did one last sweep before confirming that it was a wild animal, but Six was not so sure. Wordlessly, they back in the truck before driving off.

This time, they found more IFF tags and these ones were live. Thankfully not every Marine in this area was killed or worse. Kat, Jorge, and Faye all exited the truck and assisted the Marines. Three waves of Covenant Dropships came in and each one dispatched two Elites, or Sangheili, as their species is called. Their shields are equivalent to that of a Spartan, so direct confrontation is a coin toss at best. Death at worst.

Six found a DMR in the shed that the Marines were using as cover and started picking off multiple targets. Each shot rang true and another member of the Covenant died with every pull of the trigger. Soon after, one Elite was left standing. The motion tracker detecting the single red dot… and the white dot?

Now, Jun did not have an angle of the Elite, as he was busy helping Carter and Emile. After the confrontation, Kat boarded the other Falcon and had to go splice a door closed. A sniper shot split the silence and the sound of the Sangheili soldier’s final croak was heard. There was one problem with that sniper shot though, Faye began to think. The shot trail was_ blue _ . No other friendlies are in the area, and the only other possible option is… the white dot. So, Faye was right; the white dot was _ somebody _, but who?

Jorge was the first one to ask, “Three, did you fire that shot?”

_ “Negative, Five. I never had the angle,” _ Three replied and Faye was going through her equipment to find her local signal booster. She walked over to the cliff edge and planted a beacon and began using her radar enhancement in tandem with the signal booster. _ “Got you,” _Faye whispered, but her comm was open.

“Got what, Six?” Jorge asked from right next to her.

Her hand went to her helmet, “Three, lock on to this reading and follow it. Our mystery person should be there.”

Jun acknowledged and the Falcon took off and minutes later, _ “I don’t know how you did it Six, but you have to hear this.” _

“Patch me in.”

* * *

A person was sitting on a cliff, covering his ear as a voice screamed, “Why did you go through the portal? We could have made it out of there!” a tiny feminine companion said to a person who was covered in a cloak. The little companion was floating like an angel, its single optic narrowed.

“So, running through a thousand of death machines to make it out of there? I’m a Hunter, Dove, not a Titan. Also, did it look like I had a choice? I like exploring and you know it, but the portal was the only option I had,” the person said back, exasperated, with a lingering sense of heartbreak. Their armor was colored in a variety of hues, but the general theme was red, black, and orange accents. Small shoulder pads adorned their broad chest. Most of their armor was cloth and some metals, but mostly cloths and knives, can’t forget the knives. 

“Wanna know the worst part Seb? I have no idea _ when _ we are, we have an audience and to top it all off, no one knows we left because you decided that you could handle it, alone,” Dove said, her angelic, albeit, robotic voice said like she was speaking to a child, and in some cases, she was.

“Well sorry that I get an itch to try to hide my-” Seb cut himself off, “Did you say we have an audience?”

“The same people as before, darling,” Dove huffed, “The _ ahem _ ‘Big Tankies’ we saw before.”

Seb was about to retort when a sniper shot landed right next to his foot and a really mean, demanding voice said, “Don’t move or the next round goes in your chest.”  
Uh oh, today is definitely not his day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for the Halo People, yes this takes place in the Reach timeline, things will be changed, some things will be the same and other things will be all over.
> 
> I know by the summary it seems like something far out, and I know Spartans don't have feelings, _at least I think so_, but these feelings I mention will develop over time. 
> 
> For the Destiny people, next chapter is in Destiny and they combine from there. Things will change and I hope you all give this a small chance. 
> 
> This is my second attempt at a Crossover fic, since the series 'Crossover Stories' now exists. Any crossover stories I do from here on out are going to be here.
> 
> Thank you and I hope you enjoy.
> 
> -SoulofHorus


	2. On The Flipside

Sebastian ‘Seb’ Rutherford, one of the most jumpiest Hunters ever. His human stature with his short dark brown, slightly blond hair mix and his blue eyes made him good-looking, while he is six-foot-five, he is the tallest Hunter ever, he’s almost Lord Saladin’s height. Anyway, he has a knack for exploring anything and everything because he can. For example, one time he explored the depths of the Hellmouth on the Moon, a restricted area mind you, on a _ dare_. No further details, and the Titan that dared him never doubted him again. One thing about Hunters is that they take their dares seriously. Deathly serious; they will either: A) Complete the dare or B) Die trying. Sebastian has done both on many occasions.

He has seen the City constructed, he has seen the horrors of the Warlords, having been one himself once upon a time, but he was not like all the ones who slaughtered innocent people for so much as breathing. Seb kept to himself most of the time, but would occasionally go out for ramen with Cayde. Then, there were times where he would just be lonely.

Seb is not one for relationships, not in his line of work. His Ghost advises him not to do those sorts of _activities_, but sometimes she can't stop him. Dove, Sebastian's Ghost, has taken good care of him for as long as he can remember.

Her shell is not a general shell or anything like that. Seb calls it Precious Metals. The shell has a steel grey color, then small orange accents on the fins and some other small portions. Dove liked the shell but not its colors, so Seb modified the color scheme to give it more of a rose gold color. The now iron-grey/rose gold color combo suits Dove’s preference much better. Seb tries to make sure his Ghost is happy as well. She only says that all she needs is him, but Seb thinks differently.

It should be called into question that Sebastian gets bored, quite easily, actually. Even _ Cayde _ has to keep a slighter tighter leash on him because if he does not, then it becomes his problem and that problem leads to more paperwork that Cayde totally loves to do. Commander Zavala, Ikora Rey, and Cayde-6 also know that Seb is one the best Hunters out there, and even Cayde cannot deny the results. The Vanguard also realize his somewhat questionable antics are a defense mechanism, they have all been in his position once before. Something Seb had, but tragically lost.

However, Seb knows what his priorities are and places his duty above his life. Some may not agree with that, but places have crashed and burned because of people’s selfishness. It is why the Warlords don’t exist anymore. Well, it was because of the Iron Lords’ war on the Warlords, but minor details. Sebastian sat outside, twirling a knife and staring at the Traveler, the big white orb, and the being responsible for giving him Dove. Dove says it is the other way around, but potato patato.

“You’re thinking heavily again,” she said in a mere whisper.

“You obviously know what about to, it’s the same thing, and some days I wonder when my time will come,” the Hunter said, inspecting his knife for the gazillionth time while talking about death.

Dove floated in front of him. “Sweetie, you will find the one that will make you feel whole again. One day, my Guardian.” She touched the fins of her shell to Seb’s face, like a Ghost version of a kiss. Seb stopped twirling his knife; holstered it back in its sheath and looked at Dove. Her eye giving him the heart emoji. He held his left hand out for her to land in, and Dove looked taken back, Seb is not for one for Ghostly affection, so this is rare. He brought the top of her shell to his lips and kissed them.

_ “Thank you, Dove,” _ Sebastian’s small words mean everything to her, as such words are not spoken often. Dove does not need to hear them because of the mental link they have. Seb gives her all the appreciation she needs, anything else is the icing on the cake.

Seb tensed, his free hand clenched, “We’re being watched.”

“It’s her,” Dove said after a moment’s pause. Seb looked over to see a Warlock eyeing him with what can only be described as lust.

“Katerina, you better have a good reason for why you’re here. I thought I told you I was not interested,” Seb said, annoyed. If it was not obvious, Katerina was one of Seb’s one night stands. They both agreed to no strings, but she did not get the memo, she thought it meant they were more than one time. A Warlock, this one, who thirsts for more than just knowledge.

“When are you going to understand that I want _ you _?” Katerina asked sweetly, but Seb is not letting his guard down, not with her.

“You want an honest answer?” Seb asked, deciding to entertain her. She nodded, “Because no one can truly fill the aching void in my heart. Only _ one _ person could and she’s gone.” Seb asked Dove mentally if there were was any recording software being used. Dove said only the City cameras were to help keep the peace. The pain of losing _ her _ was enough. Never has Seb found someone like her since. Her fire, and her determination, and her damned _ smile _. That one that made all of his anger fade like a waterfall.

Katerina either did not see the blank look on his face or the true meaning of his words before adding, in a sultry fashion that looked terrible on her, “Oh yeah? You _ sure _ about that?” Her hand planted itself on his chest, which he tossed off and backed up.

“_One hundred percent_, no one has come close to her. For a Warlock, you listen as well as a Titan when told not to punch something,” while the classist remark was a low blow, it just proves his point when she keeps trying. He knew Warlocks were stubborn, but not to this length.

She seemingly backed off, finally registering the words and the tone he was giving her, “I’m not the right guy for you, and in our line of work, it’s dangerous, because when one dies, the other is close to follow suit.” He saw the hurt flash in her eyes, “I’m trying to save you a heartbreak like I suffered. You will find the right guy… or girl.”

“How did-”

Seb's mouth twitched ever so slightly upwards, “I didn’t, so thank you, but I do wish you luck with your pursuit. Take care of yourself, Katerina,” Seb said nothing more as he strides past her where she only looked longingly at his retreating form. As soon as she was out of earshot, Seb asked Dove, “Was that too harsh of me?”

Dove appeared and settled on his shoulder, “No, honestly, she needed to hear that. No one can replace her.” Dove’s voice was soft, slightly breaking. Of course, when he lost her, Dove lost him.

“Just as I know no one can replace him,” Seb followed up with, just as soft. No more words were said as he took a walk around the Tower, enjoying the peaceful scenery. The Last City stretches for only a few kilometers, with the Traveler in the center of it, floating like a smaller moon. As he was walking around, he overheard a small conversation that piqued his interest.

“Del, I’m telling you, the Vex activity on Mercury has increased over the past month and the Vanguard is doing nothing!” a feminine voice screeched, still quiet, but loud enough to warrant shushing from her conversation partner.

“Nina! Keep your voice down. It bugs me to say this, but you are sounding like Osiris,” the voice of Del said, strangely calm. “You may be right, but we can’t just go and check it out.”

That was all Seb needed to hear; with a look to Dove, she already knew what to do. She sent both of their Ghosts a highly encrypted message that told them that someone will take care of it, but they must not tell anyone and to delete the message afterward. When the message is deleted, Dove gets notified. She does not want him to go, but she knows he can handle himself. They heard the commotion behind them and the two who were speaking earlier rushed by Seb, while he had his blank mask on. He had to restrain chuckling to himself.

“Sebastian Rutherford, you are one crazy Guardian, but I’m glad you’re mine,” Dove whispered, shifting her shell and she started to doze off. Sending highly encrypted messages takes a lot of mental power. Sending two drains her.

“Sleep Dove, I’ll get our stuff ready.”

* * *

Not an hour later, the pair were in orbit on their way to Mercury, to check this Vex activity that the girl said was ‘increasing’, Seb will be the judge of that. Mercury was only an hour’s flight through space, so Seb kicked his feet up on the dash and took a small power nap.

In the middle of the nap, Dove woke up and saw they were flying to Mercury. Dove wanted to yell at him for going, but she knows that when Sebastian sets his mind to something, it cannot be reversed. Most of the time, he goes places where he is not supposed to, nothing usually happens but there is always the first time that _ something _could go wrong. Problem is, no one knows he even left. Sure, Hunters go off the grid for weeks on end, but with the Vex, time is subjective. She has full confidence in his abilities, but it’s the environment that has her concerned. Sometimes, places aren’t so forgiving. They learned that the first time.

“I see you’re up and probably furious at me, as to be expected when I go anywhere,” Seb said before yawning.

“You’d be right. Now, where would the Vex be if their activity is spiking?” Dove asked to herself when a datapad came underneath where she was floating. She looked down at it, then back at her Guardian, “You swiped this from the official reports, didn’t you?” The guilty grin on Sebastian’s face only proved that query.

“Well, they seem to be close by this place called ‘The Lighthouse’, hmmm,” Dove mused.

“Isn’t that where those Osirian cultists are?” Seb questioned; he was never one for that vibe, but Sebastian _ does _ respect Osiris, as he does have some beliefs that co-align with his own.

“Yeah, they are.”

“Avoid them, I am not letting anyone interfere with this,” Seb demanded.

After Dove navigated the ship to a ‘safe’ landing zone, Dove checked over Seb’s gear checklist. This list consisted of knives, ammo synths, knives, ration packs, water, knives, his assortment of eight weapons, two spare sets of armor, and more knives. These weapons were a split of two primaries, two secondaries, and two heavy weapons with two other choices. One Hand Cannon, Fatebringer. One Scout Rifle, Hung Jury SR4. One Sniper Rifle, Her Supremacy. One Shotgun, Found Verdict. One Rocket Launcher, the heavy hitter, Gjallarhorn. One Machine Gun, Jolder’s Hammer. His other two weapons were an Auto Rifle, Hakkon’s Hatchet, and a Sidearm, Ironwreath-D, just in case, he needs a little more up close and personal attire.

His armor had two helmets that boosted his subclasses Gunslinger and Bladedancer, Achlyophage Symbiote and Mask of the Third Man respectively. A third helmet from the Iron Banner that allows him to use Bones of Eao, a pair of boots that allow him to put a little more pep in his step. His other armor was various pieces he has collected throughout the years, mostly Iron Banner gear, and his cloak has the mix of a Titan mark in it, to honor _ her_. Other miscellaneous items included one-hundred and fifty of each planetary material, Spinmetal, Helium Filaments, Spirit Bloom, Relic Iron, and even Wormspore from the King’s Dreadnought.

“Why so many knives, Guardian?” Dove was curious and she had a sneaking suspicion as to why he needed all those knives.

“Remember that project I was working on a few years back? The one before… well, I finished it,” Sebastian said before flicking his wrist and knives appeared above his knuckles. This was the project that allowed him to throw knives efficiently. Ever since… _ that _ happened… his left hand, his dominating throwing hand, became almost unusable. With this device that they both made, it would allow him to throw knives like the ninja he was. A small smile graced his features but dropped as soon as it came. Soon after, he began throwing with his right hand, getting it just as good as before, if not just a little below his full potential.

“You actually did it? How long did it take you?” Dove asked, scanning the rest of his gear, while also monitoring Seb’s heart rate. It spiked as he wanted to answer, but the words didn’t make it past his thoughts.

Dove was about to apologize but Seb beat her to it, “We uh, finished it years ago, I just... After it… I never tested it,” Seb looked away, embarrassed. Dove floated up to Seb’s eyes and she buried herself into the crook of his neck, offering comfort in the best way she knows how. It affected them both and it was not fair.

“Come on, little bird, we have Vex activity to find,” his smile not reaching his eyes. Dove knew he was trying to be strong but she could see his resolve breaking. If he does not find someone soon, then he will be forever broken.

Dove got Seb’s sparrow prepped and they took off towards the latest area of Vex activity. The Vex are time-traveling robots that want total world domination. Their origins are unknown, but from what the Warlocks say, Crota, the Son of Oryx, accidentally brought the Vex through a portal and the rest is history. Seb knew the Vex like studying the Guardians. They cannot simulate Light, as the Traveler is so unique that it is something unattainable to the Vex.

Speaking of the Vex, Seb found some just standing there, like statues; he dismounted his sparrow and went over to them, avoiding their line of sight. Seb walked carefully, silently, even if it did not matter. The Vex just _ know _ things, but one thing is for certain, the intel was accurate, their activity has definitely increased. Considering the Precursor and Descendant Vex frames are standing alone with the present Vex frame, the Hezen Protective, means something is going on.

“Okay, Seb, can we go? I don’t like it here,” Dove whispered, silently shaking.

“Fine, but we will come back one day,” Seb said gathering Dove and holding her close but a voice stopped him. A voice he has not _ heard _ in years, not since the Devil Splicers.

“S̴͞e̢̕͝b̡b̶͠y̨̛͜?̛͝҉͢” the voice sounding distorted, broken like she isn’t all there.

“No, no, no, this is not you. You died to… that stuff. I watched it happen!” Seb said drawing his weapon and pulling the trigger on Fatebringer, three times. The bullets went through her and she was in his face a second later.

“T̕̕͟h̷̢͘i̛͘͡ş̛͢ ̢̨i̧̧͞s̸͠ ͡҉̴͘͠m͞͞͏̧e̢̢̧̡͠,̶͢͢͏͏ Se̵̵b̧̢͡b̶͠y̸̨͢, ̵͘I̶͡͠ ̶̢̢̡d̨̛͢͠͠i̧͝d͜͢͜͜n̴̕͝͠'̧͝t͏̸̛͡ ̡̛͏ḑ̷̵͞͏i̴̴e̷̕.̵̛͢͜ ̴͢I̶̧̛͞'̨̧̡͏m̵̶͟͡ ͘͝͠r͏͏̷i̵̡͠͡g̛̕ḩ̸̧͜t̸͘ ̡̛͡h̶̕͝҉̨ę̸͢͝r̸̕͝e̢͞.Y̧̯͎̔̆͠o̧͉̻͈̍͊͗̐u̱͈͚̾̀̐ ͎̓c̯̦̩̳͂̃́̾o̧͙̽͗͢͞ū̺̣̭̏̎ļ͈̿̆͋͢d̨͎̆͌ ̧̛̗̕̕͟s̢̋t̞̞͎͔̋̐̚͞a͇͌y̳̭̆̾ ̢̧͔̏̾͑h͙͉̽̓͟͞e̲̼̹̫͊̒̑̉ȑ̮e̖͂ w̯̺̯͇̌̍̈͞ĭ̹t̡͍̪͉̓̂̋͑h͔̠͙͈̟͊̀̂̄̓ ̟̥̪̞̎̌̂m͓͛ē͚͔̙̖̾͆͆.̟͇̙̻̋͆̓̌̃͢ ̹͔̣͚̮̊̽͛͠͞Y̧̗̜͊̊̐ȏ̡̨̜̲̞̂͆̓͝ǔ̞ ̣̳̹͚̏̾̋̕c̢̽ou̼̤̲̓̂͠l̞̫͈͗̍̿d̢̬̜̒̋ l̮̯̀̄̊ͅe͎̮͑̈́́̅͟͢t̪̣̲̊̆̂̒ͅ ̡͇̫̌̐̋g̙̓o͙͒,͚̳͘ ṁ̗̟͡y̺̆ Hų̝̇́͘͘͜͢͜͝nt͈̆e̢̦̬͉̒̀̇̃r̛̰͓͙͛͋.͈̠̱̐͛͞ ͖̳̿̈͟͜͡Y̥͙̙͈̑̃̿͌͜ó̡̤͚͊̿͐ͅu̧̳̭̓͘͢͡ ̮͇̺̟̞̂̌̓̍̃c̟͚͓̎͞o͚̽ụ̭͋̒ļ̛̖̓d̼̰̒̿ ̠̫̲̟̎͛͑̚͢͞be f͈̮͉̹̆̂̊͞r̮̙̦͗̓̿e̠̘̖̩͍̾͆͐̒͊e̥̫̼͂̂ ̢̡̦͑̒̑of̙͔͋͊ ̬̰̣̺̈́̈́̏̂͜͞yọ̧̙̌̉̊u̜͝r͓̋ ̱̻͍̆̿͝b͕̠͉̤́̒̕͡u̢̠̽̈́͒͜rd̥͆̐͜e͎͚̲̽͗͂ṅ̮̱͉̫̐͘ș́,̹̰̯̿͊̆ ̮̰̟͔̅̔̑͂a̬͊͢͠n̘̜̝̊̋̊d͇͖͈͛̈͠ ̜̘̀̍l͎̐ë̡͍͖̫́̑̀͘ṭ͒̚ͅ ̦̯͈̻̀͋̋y͍̹͙̬̦͂́̐̎͡ŏ̡͍͍̐͌̚͜ṵ̢̺̝̲̐͗̐̕r̰͓͈̓̆͞ ̧̟͑͂ģ͓̾̒u̥͓͛̉ȃ̯rd̨̛̖̀̌̃͟͢ ̜̣̆̅d̡̍o͖͓̠͌̃̈ẃ̦͉̫̀͞n͍̼̍̃̽ͅ.̩͇̭̘̔̄͒"҉ she said, reaching her hand out and touching his helmet. The armor was covered in nanites, spreading, but her helmet was untouched and Seb could just see the eyes that were begging him, but he knew the truth.

“No!” He flinched away, “This is a trick, you’re not the woman I loved! You’re _ not _ her! You’re not _ my _ Rose!”

The fake version of this ‘Rose’ became hostile, their whole demeanor changed, "͞͏̶͘̕T̡̕h̨͝͠e̴̛̕͟͡n̷̸̛͟͞ ̷y҉̴͞҉o̸̢͝u̕͟͞ ̴̧͡w̷̨͞͏i҉̶̧̢͟l҉̵̴͏l̡̛͘͜ ̷̛͢s̛͠t̛͝͞͡a̛͞y̵̷͞ ̛͠h҉̴͞͡e҉̢r̕͏ę͏̷͟,̵̸͜͜ ̵t̴̵̨͏̢r̡҉̷ą̷p̶͏p̵̛͡͏͠e̷̛d͘͠,̸͜͞ ͘͝f͞o̢͟r͜҉e͏̧͢v̢̢͢͡͝e͜r͏̷̕͡!̧̛̕"̷͞͏

As if on cue, the Vex came alive and everything went to hell. Hundreds of Vex Goblins, Hobgoblins, Harpies, and Minotaurs, all from different times, came out of thin air and opened fire on the singular Guardian. Seb jumped and dodged most shots, making it behind cover; his shotgun ready. It did not help one of those Vex got a lucky shot off and it lodged itself in his torso, in between the armor plates. Dove couldn’t heal him in the midst of battle. “Do you have a plan?”

Shots peppered Seb’s cover, dust and dirt sprinkling down on him, “Make it to the Vex portal and explore to hopefully find a way out of here, Dove!” Seb had noticed the portal as soon as he entered but did not make note of it. “Ready?”

“This is a bad idea, but ready!” Dove shouted over the Vex battle cries. This is definitely a bad idea, but there has to be another way. Seb burst out of cover, making a direct beeline for the portal. One Hobgoblin expected that and lined up a shot. Seb used his new gauntlet upgrade and whipped a knife over as the Hobgoblin shot. The knife struck true as did the shot from the Vex. It pierced Seb enough to make him stumble as he landed in front of the threshold, clutching his stomach.

“Y͎͝ȏ̰͖̳͚̾̏͞ụ̯̈́͛ ̳͇͓̠̀͌̉̂͌͢c̟͎͑͞ò͔͚̙̂̚ụ̼̄̕l̠͕̺̍̆d̺̾ ̫̰͍̇̊̾͟͝ha̻̔̚ͅvė͢ ͉̅ş̼͕͎̰̉͐̌̾̍t̪̯̜́̀a̬̾ỵ̿ė͉̙̈d̨͍̱̂̈͂͐͜ ̰̏͢͞h̲̣̹͑̅͗ě̪r̡̝͙͔̓̾̊̚e̮̬̓̌ ͎͞w͈̫̽̒̍̔͢͜it̩͂ḩ͇́͋̕͟ m̨̖̥͔̋͑̂̅e͉͓̻͒̅̕,̟͔͉̇̏̋͞ͅ ͉b̟̳̄͞u͉͇̱̔̋̚t̗͌ ̡͙̰̈͛̽̑͜y̧͖͈̓͒͝ô̯͎̝̱̎̔͡ü̡͘ͅ ̛̹̬̰̏͘c̯̹̼̗͗͛̇̓h̡̦͕͍͗̂̐͒ơ͈̫͎̆̑͐͜š̳̗̭̐͘e͖͍̟̒̔͘ ̡͓͗͗t̯͔̭̙̊̇́͠h̖͆e ̮͎̠̳̪̈́͋͐̅̍p̡͕̹̮̍̇̐̈́ȧ̗̞t̪̠̤̖̬̀̓̌̅͠h͇̓ ̤͉̌̑õ̘͚͞f̳̽̉ͅ ̛͇r͔̻͆̕e̫̺̯͂̐͊̃͢s̭̤̑i̭͚̼͕͛̽̒̇s͖̗̟̺̒̒͛t̬̭͚̐̓͆͞ͅa͍̣̺̹̋̏͛͠n̨̨͙͐̊̚c̜̙̿͑e̛̠̟̖̞̝̽͛̃.̠̎ ͍̭̑͒Y̤̅̇ͅô͎u̯͇̙̪̝͗̇̋̽̕ ̙̍ã̩̥̫͡ṙ̢̗͎͎̀͘e̢̗͚͔͛͐́̐ ̡̞̺̦͓̇͂͆͠͝d̢̦͉̻̬̂͒̄̂̕ḛ͗ḁ̙͉̫̌̐̾͝d͈̠̫͛̐̏ ̝̚t̞͉̪̓̕͘õ̤̻̂͜ ̩̈́m̯̊e͎͙͎̎̓͌̆͜.̦͒́,” the fake Rose said, their voice distorted more than before, almost completely gone. Even if it was a sham, those words hurt. The Vex could not have known that she died, did they? How did they know she was important to him?

Seb said nothing as he stumbled into the portal and white light consumed his vision and then he felt nothing.

* * *

Seb opened his eyes beneath his helmet and sat up. Well, he tried to as searing pain sliced through him. That’s right, he was shot, and he saw _ her _ , his Rose. That’s impossible, she died to SIVA, that damn _ consume, enhance, replicate _ order killed her. Sebastian could remember that day, the darkest day of his life and the Vex had the _ audacity _ to intimidate her, they could run their simulations all they want, but they will _ never _ get her right. Seb just laid there looking at the gloomy grey sky and thinking about what just happened.

Realization set in, he was just on Mercury and the sky was bright orange from the Sun and now the sky is grey? Vex portals may go anywhere, but this does not feel like Earth or any planet in their Solar System. Seb shot up through the pain and covered his wound. Blood flowed from the wound, where it slipped through his fingers. Sometimes, Exos have it easy, they don’t have to worry about scars, they just get repaired. Awoken and Humans though, they get some nasty scars from anything that singes their skin. Dove reactivated, having been put out of commission while they went through the portal.

She opened her optic and saw Seb’s hand red and the streaks of blood down his armor. She immediately shot her healing beam and closed it up, using planetary materials for the scrape in the armor. “Dove? Where are we?” Blood stained the armor and his hand, but not much he could do about it.

“We’re certainly _ not _ on Mercury, but what _ was _ that?!” Dove asked incredulously,” her shell shifting back into place, fear coating her voice.

Seb’s voice shook ever so slightly as he spoke, “I don’t know… but that _ wasn’t _her. It was not her. I-I-”

“You need to move now,” Dove cut him off and Seb got into a defensive stance, drawing Fatebringer and a knife that thankfully he did not lose. It was a knife that she gave to him.

Some alien thing came around the corner and screamed, making more of them come, “These things resemble nothing we have ever encountered before, where the _ hell _are we?” Seb asked aloud.

“I don’t know, just be alive at the end of this,” Dove said, demanding, but still frightened.

Seb fired on the little ones first, killing them with a single shot. Those ones were easy, then there was this enemy that had a shield on their arm. Being the crack shot Seb is, he twirled, reloaded Fatebringer, and threw a knife clipping the top of the shield but hitting his target’s flesh. The next target crashed into Seb, making him lose his balance and fall backward. The creature that did it roared and drew a blade. This blade was fancy, the hilt seemed to be the switch that projected the blade. The two-pronged design made it look as elegant as it was deadly.

“So, don’t get hit by that,” Dove advised. Seb sent his acknowledgment down the link and refocused on this eight-foot monstrosity in front of him. The creature roared and rushed him, Seb dodged the strike and fired a couple of shots, they hit a shield. Great.

“Do I have enough for a charge?” Seb asked.

“You do, but not for long, only about ten seconds,” Dove replied, getting the proper armor ready for a hot-swap. The Light flowed through his veins, the familiar crackle of Arc energy coming to life in the form of an Arcblade somehow he was not cut off, neither was Dove but still. Light is Light.

The creature tried to swing, taking a chance in ending this new ‘Demon’ and was quickly stopped as an electrified knife parried the fancy blade. “Nice sword, mind if I take it?” Seb said rhetorically. Seb swung his knife, instantly obliterating the creature, and turning around to see the other forces, literally, run away. The charge faded as fast as it came and Seb felt sore, his muscles complaining.

“Cowards, but I get a new fancy blade, but what is it?” Seb asked Dove, picking up the hilt and holding it like that creature. He gripped the hilt and it ignited in a flurry of sparks. “Okay, this is my new favorite thing.”

Dove appeared and scanned the new weapon, “According to local data, it is called the ‘Type-1 Energy Sword’. Huh, there are other weapons, but this one means a lot more to those things. A symbol of honor, apparently.”

Sebastian hooked the hilt to his belt and collected his knife from the little shield dude. This knife is a unique design. At the end of the hilt, there is a loop, for twirling purposes, because Seb gets bored on patrols. The handle extended up and another hole was there so a finger could get a grasp on the rest of the hilt. The knife has a smooth slightly curved blade, and about an inch up from the blade, an insignia is carved into it. To most, it would look like three arrowheads, but to Seb, it meant his class. Hunter. Dead center to the blade, another hole is deliberately placed for flare. On the backside of the knife, there is a little sharp nook, to slit objects and various other things.

“Hide! Now!” Dove shouted, Seb immediately went into a crouch and then everything became tainted with a light blue hue. Sebastian slowed his breathing and stilled his movements. Two flying things, called Falcons, according to Dove’s tinkering in their systems, went by. Apparently, these things called ‘Spartans’ from the UNSC were deployed to find out about some relay.

After the Falcons flew by, Seb asked, “What are Spartans? And what is the UNSC?” Seb could only think of the _ super _ ancient Roman Spartans from Old Earth’s history. Dove explained that these ‘Spartans’ are augmented super soldiers that are meant to fight for Humanity. Apparently, the creatures, called ‘The Covenant’, are what Seb fought, and they are on some religious mission of some kind. Dove continued to list off the Spartan programs and their history.

“They kidnapped children?!” Seb thought Humanity was bad in the days of the Risen, but this takes the cake. “I wanna kill this ‘ONI’. On another note, these Spartans remind me of Titans, but beefier, so I am calling them ‘Big Tankies’,” Seb let out a small chuckle while Dove glared at him. “What? They’re big and have literal tanks of armor strapped to them.”

“Come on, let’s follow them,” Dove suggested, getting a topographical map of this planet called, ‘Reach’. While they were traveling, Dove explained that the UNSC is Humanity’s military, among other things.

Sebastian kind of regrets going out to Mercury because no one would know he even left. Now, he was alone, with his weapons, Ghost, and that’s it. He truly will learn what it means to be a Hunter.

Following the Big Tankies on foot took a lot longer, but he cut through the mountain range, significantly taking less time. Seb also had to avoid detection from the Falcon that operated above them. He found a house lower down on the ground and headed inside. This house was rundown but still had a decent foundation; he was about to leave when the door opened and Seb had no way out. He went invisible and jumped to hide on the ceiling, using all of his strength to hold himself there.

Two Spartans entered the house, weapons are drawn, one’s armor was like an aquamarine color with a robot arm while the other had splashes of blood smeared on hi- Seb took a closer look and it fell below the waist- smeared on _ her _ armor, violet with a small mix of blue. Seb did a double-take and both of them were female Spartans. The Spartans found nothing, and he waited until the sound of an engine faded before unceremoniously falling to the ground, muscles burning like never before. “Damn, I am never doing that again. I have a newfound appreciation for Titans.”

“Don’t be a baby, Sebastian, we need to catch up to them. I can’t hack into their comms yet, but I can guide you to them," Dove said flying into the crook of Seb's cloak, giving him a silent gesture of comfort.

Sebastian left the house and said nothing more as he took in his surroundings. The mountain range spread for kilometers beyond his sight range, the light mist in the air making a few rainbows appear in the background. It was almost peaceful, but this was not his home. His home resided back on Earth, the Last City, where Cayde, Ikora, and even _ Zavala _ were. His home was where he buried Rosalina, his Rose.

At the thought of her, the tears formed under his helmet, but he needs to focus otherwise, he may never get home. He may never go home at all, for all he knows, this could be a Vex simulation designed to break him, to exploit him. The only thing that makes it real is Dove. If she was not here, then Seb may have done the unthinkable. “Only a half a kilo to go, Seb, then you should be on a cliff edge where you will have the perfect sightline to assist.”

A few minutes of walking and absorbing the sights later, sure enough, a perfect sniper’s nest. Dove transmatted Seb’s Her Supremacy to his hands, and he laid down on the ground, getting into his element. There were soldiers down there, two of them being the Spartans, the others must be Marines. One of them is the one he saw earlier, the woman caked in blood, and one even taller than that with a minigun in his hands, mowing down the opposing force. The woman was snapping her gaze to a new target and they were dropping as faster than Seb could keep up with. Damn.

One of those creatures was hiding behind a rock, clutching at its wounds, attempting to recharge its shields, _ “Oh no you don’t you bastard,” _ Seb whispered before the sound of his rifle echoed in the mountains. The subtle kick of the rifle almost minuscule to him; the sound of the creature’s death made him feel good that he saved other humans. 

Seb packed his stuff and ran to another cliff edge where he talked to Dove about their predicament. He honestly wondered how much time has passed and he wanted to know if someone noticed he was missing. He was exhausted, sore and wanted to sleep but unfortunately, things did not go Seb’s way.

Because of course they didn’t, when do they ever?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now the hard part... writing their first meeting.
> 
> If you have difficulties reading the glitch text, leave a comment and I will make adjustments.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> -Horus


	3. Meetup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the characters get acquainted, and then let's go to the object that they originally came here for, the Relay.

Sebastian stood still, the blades of the Falcon roaring in his ears, or was it the sniper shot that missed his foot? Either way, something tells him that if the sniper wanted him dead, he would be. His hands may be in the universal sign of peace, but his knives hiding behind his left hand say otherwise if it turns south.

“So, Dove, now what happens?” Seb wanted to run but a part of him was curious if he would see all the other Spartans. He felt out of place enough, so putting a Guardian right next to Spartans would just be the icing _ on top _ of the icing. Except that icing is a different color and the color throws off the entire cake.

“Well,” Dove was floating behind his head whispering, “you could see what they want, and don’t think I did not monitor your heart rate when you saw that one Spartan’s butt because it spiked seventeen beats in that one second. Otherwise, I’ll have to revive you.” Sebastian’s face heated under the helmet, so maybe he was staring, but how could he not? An appreciation of one’s body can never go wrong. 

The Spartan in the Falcon jumped out and landed ten feet in front of Sebastian. The first thing Seb noticed was their height. They were as tall, or taller, than him and that was with their armor. The second thing he noticed was their sniper rifle at ease, so Seb put away his knives and put his hands down. Dove disappeared, for now, any new people could be a threat to her. The Spartan looked Sebastian over and noticed two things. One, he has blood on his armor. Two, the Elite Energy Sword on his belt. “Where did you get the sword?”

“Can you save the interrogation for when everyone else is here?” Sebastian said, a little annoyed that he, the Spartan, even tried that dummy tactic. Seb knows, from Dove snooping in local databases, that Spartans prefer to interrogate in a slightly more hostile manner.

Said Spartan chuckled, “Well, since you don’t seem to be from around here, figure out a way down the mountain and you’ll meet the rest of the Team. This should be fun,” they said, getting back into the Falcon and took off. Sebastian grinned at his options to get down. One main option came to mind.

Dove reappeared, “Ready to meet the Big Tankies?” While her voice was confident, the wording made Seb turned to look at her. He stroked her shell and gave her a look under the helmet that said ‘I’ll be fine, don’t come out unless necessary’.

“Now, about getting down this mountain…” The Falcon was watching and thought this would be a grand display of what Seb is. Taking about five steps back, hitting a little ledge, Seb took a running start and leaped off the edge. It was about a three-second fall, so Seb did a flip and used his Light to jump. Right before he landed on the ground, he jumped again and did a combat roll to preserve his momentum. He stood up and dusted himself off and check his cloak and pouches, ensuring everything stayed in place. Dove called him a showoff before telling him his Tankies arrived on his left.

Meanwhile, Faye was listening in to the conversation that Jun was having with this stranger. Jorge was also intrigued but asked, “What do you think their motives are?”

Faye only shrugged wanting to see this person, they already intrigued her. They knew the simple asking question tactics, but that was only a warm-up. Seeing how Jun reported in, _ “He has an Elite Energy Sword on his hip, knives scattered about, seemingly no weapons yet he shot a bullet earlier, and a device on his left hand. He was speaking to something, but I could get no visual, possible AI.” _

Faye took her hand off her helmet and walked back to the Marines, she paid them no mind, but she needed to walk and go meet this person. Already intriguing her beyond any previous person and that is what made Noble Six slow in her tracks. They are just another person, nothing more. Putting her DMR on her back, she continued moving.

_ “Is he going to…? Well, here he comes, in quite the fashion,” _ Jun said astonished.

“Care to elaborate, Three?” Faye asked.

_ “Look up,” _ was all he said. Faye looked up to see a figure jumping from the cliff, doing a flip and then defied physics by jumping midair. Even the emotionless Noble Six had to pause, once more, before her jaw fell out of her armor. This person just defied the law of physics as they know it. Then, adding to the effect, he jumped _ again _ before landing and doing a combat roll to then stand up to dust himself off.

Jorge came alongside Faye, as did the Marines, but they were chatting to themselves in awe and, for a better term, gossiping. Faye wanted to meet this character, so she went ahead and walked to him. Jorge tried to reach out, but Noble Six is deceptively nimble, even in her armor. 

As most Spartans are familiar with this, they are extremely tall, some hitting the seven-foot range, like Jorge, while most Spartan-IIIs, in armor on average, are six-foot-seven. Out of armor, cut off about four to five inches max. This person was easily six-foot-four or five, and that’s with augmentations if they have any. Yet, their armor configuration does not match any known Mjolnir armor. Depictions of wolves covered most of their body.

“I see we meet again, formally that is,” he said, his deep, surprisingly gravely voice threw Faye off before the meaning hit her.

“So, my radar was not fooling me after all, that was you in the house and it was you that fired that shot,” Faye’s words were full of accusation.

He had the gall to laugh, “Yes and yes. Next time, look in the ceiling.”

“I did,” Faye’s reply was curt, bordering on anger. She really wanted to punch him, but right now, answers are above violence, _ for now _.

“Well, Madame, let me show you something,” he said politely and lowered into a simple crouch. One second he was there, the next he wasn’t. Faye checked her radar and saw nothing. _ Nothing. _ This was better than the active camouflage that the Covenant uses. That did not make Faye feel at ease. Her knife was gripped tightly in her hand, waiting. “Pretty damn cool, am I right?”

The knife spun around so fast that it took place in a second. What caught Faye off guard was whose hand made it around her armored wrist. He just caught her hand and the knife was mere centimeters from making contact with his helmet. “Fast reflexes, damn. Faster than other Hunters I know,” his voice edging on impressed. Faye wretched her wrist away from him and sheathed her knife. The Marines had nothing to say. Jorge too was in shock; Jun was amused from the Falcon; he was getting quite the show.

“What is your name?” Jorge asked, sensing that Faye needed a small moment. If he was being honest, from the cold demeanor from Six, it is refreshing to see her stunned and surprised, something she has not experienced much in her life.

“Sebastian Rutherford, but you can call me Seb,” Seb said, giving them a two-finger salute.

“So where did you come from, _ Seb? _” Faye asked, getting her composure under control again.

“That’s complicated as I don’t know _ when _ I am. I know where I am, in a sense, but as to what galaxy, what _ universe _ I’m in, makes me question everything. Here is a question for you, Spartans,” Both of the former stiffened, “What year is it?”

“July, Twenty-five fifty-two,” Faye answered, her voice hard and she is about three seconds from killing him. Jorge and Faye locked visors with each other, silently asking if they could trust him. Jorge gave a little shrug of his shoulder. Worst case, they kill him.

Seb swore every single curse under the sun. He kept saying something about a ‘Traveler’ and a ‘Vex’, and something else about a ‘portal’ on Mercury. What Seb didn’t notice was his Light was making an appearance based on his emotions, his anger fueling his emotions. Solar Light ignited in his palms and swore some more. Many obscene and offensive curses took place, making everyone look at him like he was the latest nutjob on the streets.

Dove decided that now was the time to appear, his emotions will be his undoing if he continues, “Sebastian, you need to calm down.”

Seb stopped what he was doing and sent a glare at his Ghost, “Dove, go away, you should not be out here!”

Dove twisted her shell in anger, “You would have blown up had I not intervened. You need to calm down or I swear to the Traveler and back, _ I _will throw you off a cliff myself! Don’t test me, Guardian,” she flew right to Seb’s mask and tapped it with her fins, showing that she is sorry, but he needed to hear it.

One of the Marines spoke, “Will someone care to explain what is going on?”

Seb groaned, “I’m certain this is above your pay grade. Even to you, Spartans.” He crossed his arms, showing off his device on his left wrist.

Faye’s eyes caught onto the device, “Did you make that,” her head tilting to his wrist.

“I did, along with someone else, but she’s… not here,” Seb mumbled. “So, if you’ll excuse me, I have to talk to my Ghost.”

“That’s a Covie vehicle, sir,” one of the Marines said, but it sounded more like a question.

Seb pointed to the Marine and said, “To _ you _ . To _ me, _ it means Dove,” said Ghost turned and waved a fin, “There are going to be a lot of contradicting terms, so best accept that now.” Seb sighed, “To think, I was only checking out a Vex portal on Mercury before this, and now, here I am talking to people from another universe,” he grumbled before walking to the cliff edge.

When he walked away, Jorge was the first one to ask, “You trust him?”

Faye looked to where this person, this _ Guardian, _ according to their _ Ghost _ , and went silent as she went over everything they learned. Faye wanted to believe he was lying, but Faye could read his emotions. The way he spoke with such determination and passion meant that even she could not find a lie. No one would be that adamant about something like this. Another _ universe? _ Crazy, but with how he described it in his cursing, Faye could not help but believe him. “As crazy as this is going to sound Five, but he is telling the truth and I believe him, but trust is something to be _ earned _.”

Jorge rested a hand on Six’s shoulder, “Good because if you did, I’d have to knock some sense into you.”

Faye turned and looked at the Spartan-II, “You could try, but you’d be the one on the ground.” 

Jorge let out a hearty laugh, “Maybe one day we can test that,” he said, smiling under his helmet.

Sebastian has his head in his hands and he just wants to go back home. This entire ordeal is his fault, if only he told someone; if he let someone know that he left, but no his Hunter pride got in the way. “Dove, what now? Because for once in my life, I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, that’s quitter talk, and I know you, Seb. You are not a quitter. You ran threw the Hellmouth on a _ dare _ . You went and faced Skolas, alone, just for _ fun _. I know you love adventure and I refuse to let my Guardian sit here and mope. Judging from the two Spartans over there, they probably could use your help. So, get off your butt and go help them. This world needs a Guardian and I do not see others lining up,” Dove pep talked to her Guardian. From the way it looked, he really needed it. He stood up and looked to her with flames burning his hands, and one singular nod from the petite Ghost gave him permission to unleash the Light.

The sound of a Golden Gun being summoned rang in Sebastian’s ears, the familiar warmth of the Crimson Cannon felt smooth in his hands. The flames licked his armor, coating him in a protective layer of fire. Wordlessly, Sebastian stepped back and fired in rapid succession, five shots, into the closest rock. Each shot letting the Hunter release the pent up tension and frustration. Each shot meant something, this was not a simple twenty-one gun salute. This was a Hunter’s way of marking the world for war. A war against this ‘Covenant’. The shots fired burned out on impact but did leave an indent in the rock, but the sound of it just felt too good. On the sixth shot, he did not fire. He simply let the cannon fade from existence, the flames that engulfed his body faded too and he felt most of the tension leave his shoulders.

The Marines spectating got their weapons ready as soon as they heard the _ clang _. They looked around and the new stranger engulfed in flames, but they appeared to not do anything. It seems that the flames are covering him. They once again watched in awe. “Sir, what is he?” One of the Privates asked.

“Son, that surely isn’t a Spartan,” the Corporal replied.

Faye watched as he summoned a gun made of pure fire. She watched as he fired it into a rock. She watched as she felt the visible tension in the air lessen. Something inside her sparked and it was something she long thought gone. She suppressed those thoughts as Seb came on back over, his voice much calmer and serene than previously.

“I’m going to help you fight this war, even if it is not my own,” The Spartans nodded expecting this outcome. “Wow, I expected a little resistance from you both, what a letdown,” he said sarcastically.

Ignoring him, Noble Six radioed Three, “Could use a pickup. You got room?”

_ “After that display, Six, he gets a front-row seat. Good thing too, One just radioed and they need assistance,” _ Jun said from the Falcon.

The respect that Jun had for this person increased as soon as they jumped off that cliff. He has some guts, Jun will give him that. The sniper also felt the shockwaves of the new arrival’s power. It sent chills up his spine, something no one has been able to do since hearing about a single person taking down an entire Insurrectionist army in a single night. That was _ years _ ago. Jun has Kat to thank for that tidbit of information. Jun told the pilot to set the bird down so they could pick up everyone.

Everyone hopped in, except Seb, feeling extremely out of place. Faye decided to just get it over with and she grabbed him by the collar and made him sit down in the gunner seat. “Hey, watch the cloak, it has memories in it.”

Faye took notice of the cloak and the symbols on it. The cloak itself was waist length, the main symbol of it was simple, yet unique. Its colors are simple black and white. It had a rectangle that had a carved out bottom right corner, a chip in the top left section and three thick white dashes underneath it. The circle surrounding it has a smaller circle protruding out from the top right. Then, another circle, thinner than the last, outlined the entire thing. What threw off the entire ‘cloak’ was the little patch that had a rose pattern and another symbol on it. Faye made the internal assumption that this is a sore spot and it was best not to bring it up.

Now that they were in the Falcon, Jun put his hand on his helmet before relaying that they have an extra passenger. When assumably Carter asked who, Jun only replied, “You’ll see, Commander.”

“Oh joy, keeping my presence on the DL I see. Can’t wait to knock ‘em dead,” Seb said with a casual tone like he didn’t just put on a show for three Spartans and some Marines. Seb continued to look outside the Falcon, fully aware the three of them were having a silent conversation.

Speaking of, Jun and Jorge were sending private frequencies to each other, Six was included too, but she elected to say nothing. She was too busy staring at Seb, something about him just makes her… No, it couldn’t be. Faye tore her gaze away as the sound of plasma fire reached her ears. Her fingers flexed and twitched, she wanted something to shoot at. Since it couldn’t be Seb, the Covenant would have to do. The Falcon circled around the LZ outside the Visegrád Relay and there was Covenant swarming the place. Faye could not wait and neither could Seb.

Without warning he leaped out of the Falcon, the freefall surging adrenaline through his veins, giving him the motivation to activate Arcblade. The knife in his right hand carried an electrical current equivalent to half a million volts, enough to kill a T-Rex three times over. Seb blinked and he landed on the ground, landing in front of those small little things. They looked like they had this giant spike exploding from their backs. Said thing dropped its gun and screamed in fear. Seb did not let it get away, he sent a Razor’s edge down the line and it killed three of those things, sending it into oblivion. Two Elites were unlucky enough to be caught in Seb’s next fury of blows.

The three other Spartans of Noble Team inside the relay’s blast door looked on to see someone drop from a Falcon at a considerably higher distance than what is considered safe, “That must be the person Noble Three was on about,” Kat said, “Quite the character. I wonder how Six took to them.”

“Just work on that door, Two,” Carter commanded, using his DMR to pick off an Elite. Those Covenant were now dead, but one final sweep of the area will confirm that. The mystery person stood in the middle of the area, breathing heavy, on one knee.

Faye watched the idiot jump out of the Falcon, she would have too, but they were still too high to be considered safe to jump. Faye observed as his entire body became lit up in sparks and a knife in his hands. With a single motion, he swiped the ground and killed three Grunts easily. Then, with a few quick slashes, he down two of the four Elites that remained. The sounds of a DMR killed the third. The fourth was nowhere to be seen as of yet. Soon, the rest of Noble jumped out. Jorge first and then Faye. Jun remained in the Falcon to pick off stragglers.

Seb was tired, using this much Light in a short time is causing Light exhaustion. It is as exactly as it sounds, use too much and you become sore, tired, and _ vulnerable _. Seb finally stood up when he felt a sharp prick in his back. Then a second, and then a third.

He kept the screams of pain inside, but that did not stop him from grunting in pain. His gaze turned around and saw that last Elite looking at him like he was prey. The Elite roared and pulled out a Sword, igniting it. Seb’s steps wavered ever so slightly, but holstered his knives and went for his belt. The grip of the Energy Sword he acquired still a bit different from what he is used to, but in time he will get the hang of it.

He ignited his own blade and the Elite snarled. Seb’s blood was pumping through his veins, and some of it pumping out of him too, courtesy of those wounds. He had to make this quick. The other sounds of gunfire were drowned out; it was the Elite versus Seb.

Dove monitored his pulse and his blood levels, he is exhausted and is bleeding out at a faster rate than normal. If Dove does not get to heal him, he will die, even if he did she would revive him. 

Dove ID’ed this Elite as a Field Marshall, a highly decorated officer, and she sent a warning. Whether or not he responded though is another story. Dove did not want him to be hurt, but it is the circle of life. Both combatants rushed each other and clashed swords. Seb’s arms were straining and he pushed the creature off him; his blood running down his back from the needle rounds. Those had long since shattered and left the wounds.

Dove found the frequencies for the Spartans’ comms and she hacked into it to call for help, “Uhm, hello? This even working? Bah, if you all can hear this, Seb is fighting an Elite in a sword fight and I don’t think he will live to see the aftermath if someone doesn’t shoot the thing!”

A mixture of confusion came from Noble Team, but Faye knew who it was. She let Jorge know that she was going to find him. Even in this small of an area outside Visegrád Relay, it is covered in storage crates, making sightlines short and narrow. Faye searched and searched over the sounds of gunfire and death and that was when she heard it; the sound of a grunt of pain and swords clashing together and sparking. The faint hue of blue light is where Faye headed towards.

She went around the right side and found Seb and a Field Marshell duking it out in a sword fight. It was clear that Seb was not doing so well, his blood trickling on the floor and the Elite has a couple of small scratches. Just as Faye was about to open fire, the Elite rushed Seb, catching him off guard.

Seb didn’t feel the pain; he did, however, feel the blood run from his mouth. The Elite’s jaws snarled and then chuckled, his teeth clicking against one another. Under his helmet, Seb had a literal bloody smile on his face as his left hand plunged into the Elite’s neck. The knives that were on top of his wrist shot out into the Sangheili’s flesh, while Seb dropped his sword and took his special knife and stabbed in it the other side of the Elite’s neck. All in one swift motion. The sword that was impaled on his abdomen vanished and he was expected to fall onto the ground, but when he fell into a pair of arms, he opened his eyes. 

Seb saw the gold visor of the first Spartan he laid eyes on, “Don’t worry, I got you,” Faye said calmly, but internally she was actually concerned, reaching for the biofoam in her pouch to use on him, to seal some wounds to keep his blood in his body. He waved her efforts off. Six’s voice was stern, “You’re going to die if I don’t help you.”

“Won’t be t-the first time, Madame,” Seb said as his breathing slow and his heart stopped. Six just watched him die, just after getting here. 

Dove’s voice spoke over Faye’s internal thoughts, “Please back up, Madame Spartan.” Faye hesitated but complied. Dove soon expanded her shell and pulses of Light dug into Seb’s wounds. He did die, yes, but what Faye does not know is that Dove can bring Seb back from the dead as she has many times before. Six watched in astonishment as Dove sealed Seb’s stab wounds and closed the holes in his armor. After Dove was done, she disappeared again, waiting for Seb to wake up. 

Seb’s previously lifeless body groaned, “Ugh, I’m going to have to clean my helmet and the armor. Blood does not come out easy,” Seb said laying down. Faye, however, no matter how hard she tried, could not hide her boiling rage. She held back on chewing him out and waited to see if he was going to explain. Seb groaned before sitting up, he grabbed his sword and stood up, with Faye’s help.

“You didn’t tell me she could do that,” Faye said evenly, even though her heart is starting to race. For what reason, she doesn’t know.

“You didn’t ask, and I didn’t tell. I’m sure you’ll want answers, and I will give them, but don’t you have a relay to fix?” Seb asked, kind of snappy like, but coming back from the dead does that to his mood. As soon as Seb tried to walk, his legs wobbled. “I guess this is karma,” Seb scoffed, “Could I please get some assistance?”

Faye honestly thought about letting him struggle, but she knew that ‘no man left behind’ applied to him, even though he seems a little arrogant. Faye grabbed his hand and his free arm looped around her shoulders, and she guided them back to the rest of Noble Team.

Once she was in line of sight of Kat, she rushed out and helped loop the other arm. “Thanks,” Seb mumbled, eyes drooping.

“Six,” Carter’s voice said, “Is this the ‘mystery’ person that Three mentioned?”

“Sooo,” Seb slurred, exhaustion pulling out all the stops, hitting him full force, “you must be the Commander. I’d gladly answer your questions if I didn’t just die and come back from the dead,” most of the sentence was mumbled, but everyone understood it. Everyone was looking at him like crazy, except for Faye.

“Hell happened to you?” Emile asked; asking the thought on everyone’s mind.

“He got into a fight with a Field Marshal, he won, surprisingly, but died and I witnessed something,” Faye said, answering for him. Carter nodded, wanting her to elaborate. “His ‘Ghost’, his companion healed his wounds. It still does not make sense since his heart had stopped,” Six supplied the answer, after all, she witnessed it.

“You would be correct, Madame Spartan,” Dove’s detached voice said aloud. While she felt safe around Faye, the feelings did not extend to the others. “I do have the power to heal him and revive him, but only when the immediate area is safe. What you saw, Madame Spartan, was only a portion of what I can do. For example, the door. I could have hacked in and shut it instantly, but I was preoccupied with making sure my Guardian was safe. I would gladly explain more, but for now, could you please lay him against the wall so that I may check him over?”

Kat and Faye leaned Sebastian against the wall as Emile asked, “So why is he like that? He seemed to be tearing it up out there before.”

“Something we call Light exhaustion, explanation later, now please, shoo,” Dove’s voice still detached as she waited for this Spartan team to clear out. The only one that interests Dove is Faye Lockhart, Spartan B312. Dove found her file and hacked the ‘top-level’ encryption in a matter of seconds. Their security is highly outdated compared to encryptions Dove has come across before, even Fallen encryptions are harder than this. She left a copy of it, but she has the file completely unencrypted, ONI won’t know it’s gone.

Everyone else left the Ghost and Guardian alone, except for Faye and Emile. She lingered a little bit longer before finally turning around and following the rest of her Team. Carter told Emile to stay back and watch the door in case other Covenant come through the area.

Seb had his eyes closed, the cloths of his armor felt sticky, covered in the crimson essence. Cayde would be telling him to brush it off and rest when he dies for the final time. Seb lowered his hood and twisted his helmet off. His hair still clean, but it has grown just a bit, just enough to run his hands through it. In the reflection of his visor, dry blood caked his lips and chin. _ “Oh, that’s nasty,” _ he whispered to himself. Seb took a rag from his hidden belt and cleaned his mouth and face. He took another one and scrubbed out the inside of his helmet. Dry blood is not a pleasant smell.

His armor was in similar shape, the dents may be fixed, but the wolves that adorned his armor were covered in blood. Probably would get a lecture on armor maintenance. His armor now had jagged splashes of red to match the other colors on him. Unfortunately, he would not have time to clean up the armor, so he better get used to the smell of blood.

Sebastian thought it was a good time to stand up and follow the Spartans. As he hobbled off the wall, Noble Four came to Sebastian’s side, “You shouldn’t be moving, you’re still trying to recover.”

“That does not stop a Guardian. Dying is an everyday occurrence for some. Plus,” Seb looked right into the Spartan’s skull visor, “None of you are the boss of me,” and Seb hobbled away to find the others. He has questions that need answers and so do they. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any feedback is appreciated! Let me know your likes and dislikes and _why_. You can't just say "This is terrible" without a valid reason. Maybe I could remedy it later on, but I won't know if no one speaks up.
> 
> -Horus


	4. Bridge at Both Ends

Faye couldn’t believe what she witnessed; This person, Sebastian, came back from beyond the grave to say that this is only a piece of what he does. Whether she wanted to or not, she lingered behind the rest of the team to hear him say that it’s a daily occurrence for some  _ Guardians. _ The term to her means something completely different, however, Sebastian did say there would be a lot of contradicting terms. That does not begin to explain the many differences that they have. Most sane people would not dare engage with an Elite, a Field Marshall mind you, in hand to hand combat.

That’s because Sebastian is not one for playing as the underdog; he likes to show the world that he is not weak, that he is not someone that you can walk all over. These traits are something Faye would look for in a person, someone confident, someone who is willing to put their lives on the line for others. Not that she’s interested in him, no. She is just pointing out the obvious.

Upon entering the relay’s central hub, there was a dead body on the floor, an older gentleman who must be a UNSC scientist that was stationed here. Kat walked up to the terminal and found tons of plasma damage to which she stated aloud. Carter asked a wounded Marine against the wall questions about their missing units. “We got split. I think they- It didn’t sound good on the comms.”

Carter replied easily with, “Alright Corporal, stay put. We’ll get you a combat surgeon.”

Kat cursed quietly, “Damn plasma damage messes everything up,” while throwing her arms in the air.

Throughout all this, Faye was searching the body whose blood stained the floor, there was not much time as she had to search efficiently as well as thoroughly. A chip fell out from one of the man’s jacket pockets, “Kat, found something,” Faye said holding up the chip. This chip holds a lot of research notes from what Faye could see from its design.

Kat immediately took it out of her hands, “I’ll take that Six, not your domain.” So Faye got the hard-headed Kat, not the one in basic.

“Got a live one over here!” Jorge shouted as he pulled out a teenage girl from underneath a staircase. She kept punching his armor like it would eventually break whilst swearing in her native tongue.

“Jorge,” Carter started.

“I’ve got her,” he said as she kept struggling, “I have no intentions to hurt you, just calm down and I’ll release you.”

The girl calmed down, still cursing him out, but Jorge heard something and acted accordingly. Three Elites descended from the ceiling and tried to kill Jorge.  _ “What’s your status, over?” _ Emile’s voice came over the radio.

“We’ve been engaged!” Carter shouted as Faye unloaded her rifle into the Elite, its shields withholding, but it slashed the console and turned to Faye. It ran at her and knocked her over, her rifle out of reach. It ran away trying to leave with its life. A second Elite snarled and tried to stab her with its energy dagger. Faye gave the attacker a nice right hook and in response, it roared in her face. It was kicked off her and shot some more, its shields on the verge of breaking. It ran away while the other two grabbed the injured Marine and used it as a hostage. No one moved.

“Four, did any slip by you? Carter asked.

“No, none did,” a voice said from the doorway. Sebastian came around the corner, hobbling still, and in one hand had the Elite’s dead body with a knife in its forehead, buried to the hilt, while the other hand held his helmet. “Dumbass thought he could make a run for it,” his voice unaffected by his helmet filters. The tone of it was deadly and it screamed ‘screw with me and die’.

Even if the glance was brief, she got a good look at his face and if she wasn’t a Spartan and saw this, she would have swooned, but she is a Spartan and she needs to pay attention, otherwise, it will get her killed. Seb slipped his helmet back on, the seals hissing in place, and tore his knife out from the Elite, cleaning it, and holstering it on his chest.

The two Elites slipped through the doorway with the Marine screaming for help. “Two, handle her, Five and Six clear the hole!” Six grabbed her rifle, reloaded it went after them. In the background, Carter was trying to tell Sebastian to hold back and stay, but he was having none of it and to ask the Spartan out there what he told him.

Sebastian hobbled in unholstering his abnormally sized handgun he calls ‘Fatebringer’ and reloaded the chamber by talking a cylinder from his pocket, around an inch and a half in diameter and two inches tall and then dumps the old one and slots the new one inside before flicking his wrist, ergo, closing the chamber. Fancy weapon for a person whos out of place. He’ll certainly draw a crowd back at base if they make it. “Don’t say a thing about me staying behind. The battlefield is a second home to all Guardians, even if we’re ‘injured’.”

Both Jorge and Faye said nothing, except for nodding. Jorge shut the door and on the wall, there were more DMRs and extra ammo and grenades, perfect. Faye put her rifle on her back, the mag locks holding it in place, while she grabbed the munitions in front of her. She placed the stock of her DMR on her shoulder and tested the sights. Her VISR calibrated the sights for her and the trio was on their way. They need to clear the relay of Covenant forces and then report back.

The hallway was dark, so Faye and Jorge turned on their night vision. Sebastian did not have that luxury. So, he opted for flares, with permission from the Spartans, he lobbed a bright red flare down the hallway and wouldn’t you know it, there were Covenant forces. Faye let the first shot fly right into a Jackal’s eye. She followed it up with three more successive shots, downing more cannon fodder units.

Jorge’s chaingun was mowing down the idiots who decided to run from cover to cover while the raining hellfire of bullets descended upon them. All the while, Jorge had a smile plastered across his face. 

Sebastian picked other targets not nailed down by the two walking tanks, his muscles still protesting the movements, but he gritted his teeth and fired, nailing a Jackal himself. There were no more sounds of plasma gunfire or those needle things. Seb had the feeling they are still impaled into his back, but Dove assures him that they are gone. She healed his wounds and used her Light to soothe his aching body. The two Spartans moved up, Noble Five went first. Noble Six, her callsign as he doesn’t know her name yet, turned around and eyed him.

At least, as far as she knows, he does not know her name. Dove may or may not have let that _ tiny _ little detail slip, but he wants to hear her say her name to him. While it is nice that she is making sure he does not fall behind, he shouldn’t be the reason for it. Sebastian has struggled to keep up with others because of his injuries in the past, his arm twitching as the thought was brought back. “You don’t have to wait for me, Six. Go on,” he waved her on.

Seb noticed her hands on her gun tightened, for what reason, he doesn’t know, maybe it's because he is slowing her down. Ha, like she would need to slow down for him. Seb has surprised people before, these Spartans would be no different. Dove spoke into his mind,  _ ‘When this is over, you are so taking five.’ _

_ ‘That’s what you think, little bird,’  _ Seb shot right back.  _ ‘It never stops.’ _

“If you honestly think I’m going to leave you here then you have another thing coming,  _ Guardian _ ,” the word emphasized with force. Well, he did not know that the term ‘Guardian’ was so highly detested. Not that he minded, but he wanted to know the reason  _ why _ .

“Jeez, at this rate, you seem to really want to shoot me for just showing up. What did I ever do to you?” Sebastian asked with genuine curiosity. He has not done anything to her specifically to warrant his treatment from her. Seb read her emotions and body language and she was stiff as a board; as if she was waiting for the right trigger word to explode.

“Is that an offer?” Six said back in almost… a  _ teasing _ manner? Major whiplash alert.

“Maybe one day, if I piss you off for the wrong reason, then you can  _ wound _ me, not kill me,” Sebastian worded this so she wouldn’t find any loopholes, but that’s a vain hope. Sebastian knew deep down that she would find a way around it.

Yet, her next words surprised him, “No, you’re more useful to me alive and well, rather than alive and wounded,” she turned and left a flabbergasted Guardian behind.

Normally, he would have a retort, but his words failed him and his heart sped up, to which Dove promptly asked, “Sooo… you falling for her yet?” Seb forgot that as innocent as she is, she can be quite blunt.

Seb whispered, “I won’t lie, I haven’t felt this way this since,” he swallowed the lump forming in his throat, “ _ her _ , but she is all business, and I don’t think she will be breaking that mold anytime soon,” he continued to hobble along. Now that he has some break time to relax and not use his Light, he isn’t hobbling like someone broke his leg at an odd angle; instead, he is now limping with much more grace than previously.

Catching up with the Spartans in the next corridor, Six was, of course, being the markswoman that she is, while Five was just letting lead fly like it was going out of style. He pulled another flare out of his back pocket, silently asking for permission. Six gave a curt nod and the flare lit up the corridor. That was when Sebastian decided that Fatebringer won’t do. So, he asked Dove to switch it out for his Hung Jury SR4, a Scout rifle. Similar to the Spartan’s DMR, but it fires faster. It’s time to kill some alien freaks, and that’s being nice because even the Fallen look nicer than these Covenant. Seb came right on Six’s right and started to pick off targets just as fast as she was. Soon enough, the only ones left were the Elites. One of them had some sort of boomstick, unfamiliar to Sebastian, while the other had an Energy Sword.

“Do you have a plan?” Seb asked Six. So many times he wants to say her name, but he respects her privacy.

“Yeah,” her visor was on his, “Shoot them until they die and do it some more. Plus, can’t you do that little parlor trick?”

Knowing what she meant, he decided to tease her, because that’s what Hunters do, they take the piss out of a dire situation, “It’s not a parlor trick, it’s a magic trick. We Guardians are just dead magicians who can pull of extraterrestrial feats of wonder out of our asses,” he deadpanned her, “Yes, I can do the damn thing, one second.”

Seb put his weapon on his back and concentrated. He knows he will have a limited time to be invisible because of his prior Light exhaustion, which using his Light will make his recovery time longer. Soon enough, he was invisible. He hopped over the railing, concealing his footsteps as he went. His Energy Sword in his hand, he snuck around the Elite in the back, the one who was closer to Six will be easier to draw out if this one is dead. The Elite in question, however, smelled the air. That’s right, that alien monstrosity right there, took a  _ fat _ whiff of the air. Its hands clenched around its sword and turned around. Seb thought this thing was crazy. In a split-second decision, that could probably cost Seb his life, he activated his sword and lunged for the Elite.

The Elite turned and parried the blow and spoke in its tongue but said something else. Something in  _ Human English _ ,  **“A Demon. You are not like the others. Your smell is different, like death. Curious. The Prophets would be interested in a specimen like you.”**

“Tell your  _ Prophets  _ to piss off and die!” Seb said as he pushed the sword away and the knives in his left wrist fired again, right in between the Sangheili’s armor plates. The second Elite heard the commotion and came running. Thankfully, Six must have snuck up on them because a knife soon became implanted into its neck and the shields burst in a blue flash of light.

“So, what did it say?” Six asked, removing her knife and sheathing it, her words referencing to the Elite that spoke before.

“Something about their religion and honor… Honestly, boring stuff,” Seb said nonchalantly, waving his hand for good measure. _ Lie. _ Six put her hand on her helmet, before nodding once and saying ‘Yes, sir’.

“Come on, Noble One wants to see us. Apparently, you told Four off,” there is that teasing tone again.  _ Does she know? No. She’s just messing with you, Seb. _ “You got some guts to do that. Not many live after messing with him.”

“Well, unfortunately for him, I can just haunt his ass for all about five seconds, if he does kill me,” Seb said, one hundred percent serious.

“How are you feeling?” Six asked, seeming somewhat concerned. The subtle hint was hard to detect, but it was definitely there.

“Besides the fact that I feel like I’ve gone through about five blenders in the past hour or two, and I’m in another universe, cut off from all contact to my world, and to top it all off, I’m speaking with augmented super soldiers, I’m just peachy,” Seb’s tone went from whiny, to serious, to sarcastic within a single sentence. Faye had to have the will to  _ not _ roll her eyes under the helmet. 

Six stepped forward until she was right in front of Sebastian. Faye wanted to test something. She put her DMR on her back, right next to her rifle, and took another step forward. She wanted to see his heart rate, based on if she does certain actions because another one of her armor modifications is quite handy. She has a heartbeat sensor installed into her armor. This gadget has the ability to monitor one’s blood pressure and, obviously, one’s heartbeat, normally used for interrogation purposes to detect lies, but this will suit her purposes just fine. As soon as Faye stepped forward, he tensed, unsure of her actions. Faye made sure to keep her body language blank. “Are you sure? You still seem tired,” her voice also monotone to match the blank facade she has put on.

“Tired, yes. Exhausted? No. W-What are you doing?” he asked, still not moving, his body tense. That stutter is all she needed to know. He is  _ nervous _ around her. Faye let a smirk grace her features, good, he should be. Little did the female Spartan know is that Seb is only nervous about their  _ proximity _ , not  _ her _ . The way her whole demeanor changed just threw him off. Faye is staring him down face-to-face with her visor revealing nothing.

Seb, however, managed to see through the visor for a split second because of the lighting or she did that on purpose, but he saw her murky brown eyes, and that was all it took for Seb to blurt out, “You have nice eyes!” Faye stopped what she was doing and walked away with something new on her face.

_ A blush. _

Meanwhile, Seb is standing there wondering what the hell just happened. Did a Spartan, a supposedly emotionless super-soldier, just  _ flirt _ with him? If she was, then why the hell does his heart feel like it is going to burst out of his chest? He shouldn’t be affected like that, he just met her no more than two hours ago, granted a long action-packed two hours. Dove put her input in, “For the record, your heart rate spiked higher than when you were partaking in  _ strenuous  _ activities, and you never blurt out like that, which I don’t know how you saw her eyes… but her heart rate spiked too, so there’s that. Now, you never answered my question if you were falling?” Sebastian could imagine her flicking a fin as she asked this.

Seb for yet another time in his life did not know what to say. He could deny it the assumption all he wants, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Is he falling in love? So soon? Is he getting feeling for the supposed emotionless badass? Seb quickly shoved those thoughts down, not hearing Dove’s teasing.

When they finally met up, Six did not meet Seb’s eyes, the tension was already growing, just great. So, to pass the time, Seb asked Dove to find the names of the Spartans in the room. Dove already had them ready, that little minx.  _ ‘So, that one is Emile, with the skull etched visor. The Commander is Carter in navy blue. Jorge is the tall one with the chaingun. The sniper is Jun. Then the tech wiz with the robot arm is Kat, and she knows Six from training?’ _

_ ‘Same as someone else I know, but you would be correct in that, but you can’t ignore it forever,’  _ referencing the encounter with Six. Seb flexed his left arm as to not burst out in anger. It’s a sensitive subject.

_ ‘I can damn well try. I’m not ready to open my heart to someone I just met. It worked well last time, but I’m not going to get lucky twice,’ _ Seb said to Dove mentally. Seb was leaning against the wall, furthest away from everyone, not interfering in their ‘Spartan’ affairs, as it was not his place. His right hand was making small little Light constructs to occupy his time.

Overhearing though is another story. The man on the floor is the girl’s father. Poor thing, but at least she had a family. Most Guardians never know what a family is until they hit the Tower and meet others who have been in the same situation. They can  _ empathize _ with them. Here, they can sympathize, at best. At worst, they could just disregard him. They were currently talking about contacting their Colonel to report about the relay. 

Faye saw Seb standing alone, seemingly lost in thought, probably talking to his companion, and seeing the little constructs he is making with his hand. Curious, indeed. What the hell did she just pull? She _blushed_, something thought impossible, _but_ she made him feel awkward instead of the confident, _Hunter_ he normally is. So now the question lies in the air, waiting for one of them to ask.

What are they going to do about it? 

* * *

After Carter talked to the Colonel and declared this ‘Winter Contingency’, Noble Team was called back to base for debriefing. Something tells Sebastian that he is not going to like it. Normally, that feeling he gets in his gut is most of the time accurate. Very rarely is that feeling wrong. So, no one understood his hesitance to get back on the Falcon, and from the glances he got from the Spartans, he knew he had to get on it. He ordered Dove to not come out, even if he was dead. He would kill a lot of people come hell or high water if they took Dove from him.

Seb said nothing else the entire Falcon ride to the base, named UNSC Firebase something or other, not that he cared because he saw it as something else;  _ prison _ . Put it this way, being around higher authorities that restrict Seb doing what he does bother him, immensely. He even went so far as debating whether or not jumping out of the Falcon was worth it. However, this time, the fall would severely injure or kill him, so that option is out. Running is out of the question, because each one of these Spartans knows how to aim, especially the one with the sniper. Sebastian took this time to sharpen a knife, his biggest knife. A long serrated blade, the length of his forearm, with a unique handle, one that allows a backhanded grip. The sheath was cleverly hidden on his belt under his cloak, but out of sight for prying eyes. Faye took notice of how many knives he had, and she counted at least two dozen on his person alone and around four hidden ones, possibly more.

The base came into view too soon for Seb’s liking. It just screamed prison. The pilots communicated with the base to get permission to land, and Seb was hoping to have them deny it, but when the pilot said Spartan team on board, they were given instant clearance. So much for that option. When they landed, Seb made no movements to get up until a hand roughly grabbed his shoulder. Seb looked into the visor of Noble Six, not Six. He grabbed her hand and she squeezed his shoulder hard, but Seb didn’t even flinch, he barely felt her grip. He threw her hand off him and stepped off the Falcon where about fifteen Marines and some other armored units were waiting, fingers tense, and postures stiff. They weren’t Spartans, but they weren’t Marines, the middle ground then?

Seb wanted his emotions to flare, but they wou-couldn’t, so he just accepted it. What threw him for a loop is what threw the Spartans for a loop. They clearly weren’t expecting their commanding officer to be there. Colonel Holland was his name, seeing the name and rank embroidered on his uniform. Seb was thankful for his helmet to contain his eye rolls and nonchalant stance. Seb did not care for authority like this, he barely stands Zavala. The Titans would because that is in their nature. Warlocks like books. Hunters don’t care who is in charge and what rules are in place; Hunters will find a way to bend or break all of those rules.

“Noble One, is this the person you were mentioning earlier?” Holland asked the Spartan.

“Yes, sir. This is him,” Carter replied robotically.  _ Damn Spartans _ .

“Does he speak?” Holland asked, and Seb got a good look at his face. His wrinkles define him as an older man, but with eyes like his... They speak more than he ever will. Seb shook his head and Carter clenched his jaw.

“Oh, you thought I would cooperate? Shame, it seems my _ trust  _ was misplaced, could you help me find it?” Seb shot at Carter, stance still casual, but not hiding the venom he harbored on the way here. The Spartans tensed and were about to say something but Seb shut them down. “Shut it all of you,  _ trust _ is a two-way street,” Seb said to all of them, but he was looking right at Six. Faye looked straight ahead, not meeting his eyes. He turned back to the older gentleman, “So, are we going to stand here and talk, or am I going to get comfortable with four padded walls and a straight jacket?”

Multiple gasps were heard, most suppressed, but a couple of outliers were heard. Meanwhile, the Colonel was smiling, one that made his eyes crinkle in amusement. This did not settle the feeling in Seb’s stomach. “Have no worries, there, stranger. I do actually want to talk.”  _ That’s what they all say, old man. _

It seems genuine, but an underlying feeling of dread set in, or was it because of the Elite’s words? “Lead the way, sir,” Seb replied, respectful since Holland has been nothing but respectful. Noble Team escorted him inside and the base had a ton of greens and greys. Seriously, would it kill them to put in some color? The soldiers don’t need to be depressed all the time. The hallways were uniform, the barracks were uniform, the hangar was uniform, even the  _ uniforms _ were uniform. Okay, that last one gets a pass, because it  _ is _ military attire.

They did not even make a move towards his knives, some of which were visible, and sharp. Good, because if someone tried to, then they would be missing their hand. Then again, as soon as he lashed out, Seb would be in a puddle of his own blood and he really does not want to kill innocent people when they are only following orders. Much like Noble Team is doing right now. He could be helping the war effort, but  _ no _ , they are taking him to a cell to waste time questioning him. Ask questions after the fights over.

One room seemed to be empty and they dropped him off here. “Get comfortable, we can talk once Noble Team is debriefed,” Holland said. Seb nodded in thanks. The room was not a cell, but an actual room to relax in, but that does not mean he will. His armor stays on until he deems it not needed.

Once they left, “Dove, is there any hidden recording software in here?”

Her voice echoed in the room, “One moment.” Pause. “Wow, they  _ really _ don’t trust you.” That just sent the metaphorical knife into his body, he actually started to trust them and  _ this _ is how he gets treated. Like a prisoner. If not for Dove, he would have escaped already.

_ ‘Can you get rid of it?’ _ he asked silently, lowering his hood and removing his auto knife throwing mechanism off his wrist and setting it on the little table provided.

_ ‘Done. Also, they do have visuals, but not like they are going to understand you anyway,’ _ Dove said carefree. Well, that’s a bonus. Seb pushed his hands to the walls, inspecting it for any potential hollow points, he saw it on an old broadcast once.

_ ‘So is there a way you can be visible whilst not in view?’  _ Seb asked he wanted to check her shell’s integrity without her being noticed.

_ ‘Yes.’ _ She appeared in the corner of the bunk. Still, the room could use some color, like maybe a red or a blue,  _ something _ to offset the green.

“I wonder what they are talking about now that they can’t hear me. They would probably come running at this point,” no sooner did Seb say that the door opened and weapons were pointed at him. Dove immediately disappeared. “Well, that was quick.”

Faye did not like the look she was sent by him. She knew they had to report it in, but that did not ease the churning feeling in her gut. To his defense, he was trusting them and they broke it. He was helping them and they turned him in. So, the hostility he had towards them was very much valid. Kat came up to Faye and rested a hand on her shoulder. Faye was at the firing range disassembling her Magnum and putting it back together again before shooting a bullet and repeating the process. “Sister, take a break. You’ve been here since we arrived,” Kat’s voice clear, meaning her helmet was not on.

“When did  _ break _ enter my vocabulary? Spartans don’t take breaks, Kat,” Faye said, not looking at her. She couldn’t look at him now, and that bothers her. How can she not look at someone that has nothing but hatred towards her? It has not mattered in the past. So why now?

“Do I need to order you to take a break, Lieutenant?” Kat asked, her whole demeanor shifted. This demeanor only comes out when Kat is serious, and now is one of those times. It’s almost like she can read Six’s body language.

“You wouldn’t dare…” Faye said lowly. Kat raised an eyebrow as to say ‘try me’. “Fine,” she hissed, she doesn’t want to see him at all, it’ll be better to forget him.

“Go and see Carter once you’re out of armor. He’ll need you,” Kat said as Faye’s thigh magnetically locked it to her thigh and walked to the armory.

“Am I getting a reason as to why I’m needed?” Kat shrugged, not giving anything away, but the eyes did. So, she was the messenger, and she very well could not shoot her CO, as much as the thought tempted her.

The armory is something that Faye visits the least. Normally she doesn’t leave the armor for weeks, if not, months on end, because she is always busy. Damn ONI and their assignments. The armor machine isn’t as intimidating as it was the first time, but without her armor, she felt  _ exposed _ , like the world was watching her every movement. The technician gave the Spartan-III a small smile, greeting, and waved her to the machine. The process is painless, but not something Faye enjoys.

After getting out of her armor, her light grey skin-tight bodysuit clung to her form, which felt weird to say, but it’s better than being nude. She went to find Carter, who was by the interrogation rooms, according to other Marines she asked in passing. On the way there she passed by a mirror and took a second to look at herself. Her brown eyes had small bags under it and her hair was still in her combat bun. The stress of her deeds are starting to show; it only took it this long.

After moving along and fixing her appearance, somewhat, she spotted Carter waiting out of his armor as well, arms crossed. Carter looked up to see Faye and did a come here motion with his head. “Sir? What’s the need for me?”

“Turns out, he disabled the audio devices we planted in his quarters. Yet, he never touched them. I want to know how and he seems to talk to you the most.” Six was about to deny it but her eyes gave it away. So that’s why Kat wanted her out of armor, so Carter can look into her eyes. “S- _ Faye _ , he met you first, he has talked to you the most, you’re the right person for this.”

“Permission to speak freely, sir?” she asked. Carter nodded. “No wonder he disabled it. He does not trust us. He tried to, but you, and by that I mean the rest of us as well, broke that trust when we brought him here. To then spy on him in his quarters, just burns that bridge even more. He helped us, sir, and then this is how we treat him,” Faye said calmly but also with a hint of concern.

“I know, Faye, but that does not mean we abandon protocol. We had to bring him here; he is an unknown and he could turn on us in an instant. Jun informed me of his feats from the Falcon, something with that much unpredictability is someone who is hard to trust. We’re Spartans, we are held to code, and when that code isn’t followed by the spearheads of the UNSC, then what reason would anyone lower follow them?” Carter raised a valid point. If a Spartan went off the grid, breaking rules, what reason would anyone listen to them? That also does not discredit Seb’s actions. He helped them, he killed the Covenant and something tells Faye that he would help until he dies… for the final time. 

A pregnant pause between the two Spartans formed, neither one willing to speak. Faye took a glance at the interrogation room and saw him sitting there in his armor, rhythmically tapping his fingers against the table. Faye thinks that he is going to help, but she is dreading this conversation.

“So, I ask again, sir. Why am I here?” Faye asked, her tone now curious, yet her eyes once again gave away the answer. She knew why she was here, but she wanted to hear him say it.

“You’re going to go in there and have a chat with him. We need to know what he knows about us, and then find out what he is, where he is from, and how he got here,” Carter’s tone left no room for argument.

“I foresee this going badly, sir, I’m letting you know that. Something tells me if something is said in the wrong manner, he will lash out,” Faye said before entering the room.

“Out of all the people I’d thought they would send, you weren’t the one I thought of first. So, let’s ‘chat’,  _ Faye Lockhart. _ ”


	5. Our Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, there is a lot of dialogue ahead, most of it containing Destiny universe info. For the Destiny people, this may seem familiar to you, but for the Halo people, please read to understand my headcanon. If you have any questions/concerns, please don't hesitate to DM me about it and I will do my best to clear it up.
> 
> Reason: None of Noble Team knows what the hell Sebastian is, besides what he barely said, so they want an answer to his literal death-defying actions.
> 
> 2nd Reason: You get some insight into Seb's past.
> 
> This is a lot of dialogue and I'm 100% going to make a mistake somewhere. Next chapter is Faye explaining to Seb about the Halo Universe, war with the Covenant, with minor edits. I can't for the life me think of something freely like I can with Destiny. I do apologize for this lengthy note, but I felt the need to explain since it would feel like it would confuse some people. Maybe.

When the men came to take Seb away, he quickly fastened his device to his wrist again. One of the men, or women, he didn’t know, came to rid him of his knives. Seb stopped them, “Touch me and you will be bleeding out before help arrives.” To put it lightly, do not come between a Hunter and their knives.

“You think we would fall for that?” the soldier said and reached for the knives again. Seb grabbed their wrist, spun them around, holding one hand behind their back, his other hand had a knife against the soldier’s throat. They dropped their weapon to try and rid themselves of the knife now at their throat.

“Did I tell you that if you tried that, you would be bleeding out?” he whispered into the soldier’s ear, before releasing them and pushing them back to their friends. He scooped up the weapon that they dropped, inspected it and tossed it back to them. The four soldiers present were surprised. Reading the looks of shock in their body language, “You _ really _ thought I would kill someone innocent? You don’t trust me at all then. You all disgust me,” Seb crossed his arms. “Well, let’s go to the comfy padded room where I will await the inevitable conversation between a superior officer.”

All of the soldiers looked like he was crazy, their postures still stiff, so he asked an icebreaker question, “So, what kind of soldiers are you? You aren’t marines, but you aren’t Spartans either.” None of the soldiers seem to have caught on to his tension breaking question so he tried again, “Are you Spartans or not?”

One of the soldiers, the one he grabbed and held at knifepoint answered, “Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, or ODSTs. Now, move along.”

Seb asked Dove to see what she can find on these ‘ODSTs’ and the Dove delivered, handsomely. These troopers go into drop pods and get launched directly into battle, that’s actually… quite impressive. Seb opted to say nothing else and let them lead him to wherever in this boring ass base that he ‘apparently’ needs to be. During the short walk, he has already seen three flaws in their design. Is this amateur hour or something? After another short distance of walking, there stood Carter, Noble One.

“Thank you, Sergeant, dismissed,” Carter said.

“Sure thing, _ Spartan _,” the soldier said before walking off.

Seb looked back at them, then Carter, then back again, “You know… if they continue that I could-”

“Stop,” Carter interrupted him. Oh, so we got ‘big boss man’ here. “You’re here because we need answers and I expect you to comply.”

Seb cocked an eyebrow beneath his helmet, “And what are you going to do if I don’t?”

Carter chuckled darkly, that it even made the smirk come clean of Seb’s face, “Emile would like some ‘private’ time with you, so just comply and you will be fine,” the door opened and wordlessly, he stepped inside. The room had a one-way window, a table, two chairs, and the obvious camera in the corner. Seb idly chatted with Dove, who once again hacked into the system and will disable video when Seb wants to. The window, she can do nothing about, whoever is there will get to witness it.

_ ‘Outside, Carter is talking to Faye. Now, try not to lash out, but also don’t be a pushover, Guardian. Oh, and drop her name too, after this, I understand your distrust of them, but you also need to give them answers.’ _Dove said into his mind.

_ ‘Not all of the answers right... because there are some that I-’ _

_ ‘No, not those ones, that wound is still trying to heal. Have faith, Sebastian,’ _ Dove reassured. The door swung open and Sebastian was greeted with a beautiful sight, if only it was under better circumstances. The bodysuit she wore accented her whole figure. Her dark brown eyes looking determined, but also agitated. She was about to speak but Seb cut her off before she started. He forced his tone to be upset, but it most likely came out as agitation, “Out of all the people I’d thought they would send, you weren’t the one I thought of first. So, let’s ‘chat’, _ Faye Lockhart. _”

Faye stiffened for a split second but then sat down across from him. She wasted no time, “Do you know why you are here in this room?” Seb only started at her from underneath his helmet.

He leaned across the table, “Because my trust was misplaced, but you just _ had _ to bring me here,” Seb did want to talk, but without all the interrogation stuff around him. He would much rather tell the six Spartans out in the field where no one else could watch and review the tapes, but he accepted the hand he was dealt, “Dove, disable the visuals but leave audio. That’s the least I’ll do, because if it was up to me, then I would not even be here.”

As per instruction, a small little flash hit the camera, disabling it and disabled everything video related in the adjacent room temporarily. “Now, you may begin asking the questions that have been bothering you since the relay.”

Faye did not even react when he disabled video, in fact, she smirked. She had a feeling he was going to do that. On the other side of the window, they were frantic, but the rest of Noble Team allowed it. They did bring him in, the very least they _ could _ do was allow this conversation to not be recorded visually, but audibly, it’s free game, “Alright then. Take off your helmet.”

“Excuse me, what?” There was no way he was going to take off his helmet, not here.

“Take. Off. Your. Helmet. Or I will make you,” she stood up and began to walk around the table. Her eyes said ‘challenge me and see what happens’.

“Alright, alright, alright, jeez. No need to go all psycho on me,” Seb put his hands up and the little push forward motion as to say ‘stop’; he pulled down his hood, and he hesitated. Faye knows what he looks like, but he doesn’t know that. Seb was actually nervous, it is not that he doesn’t want to show his face, but he is actually more worried about what Faye would say about his face. Self-conscious, yes, but that is what happens when you reveal yourself in front of someone you may or may not have a crush on. Dove picked up on this and just waited. She could have just transmatted his helmet off but she’s not that rude.

Faye sat down, proud of herself, now she will finally have a face to the name. His helmet came off with a hiss and he ran a hand through his hair, it was short but it was long enough to do so. His hair was brown with a small hint of blond, his cobalt eyes caught Faye’s attention. _ And he said hers were nice. _

Sebastian coughed into his hand, putting his helmet on the table, breaking the awkward silence, “Your questions, Madame.”

Faye fought hard to keep another blush from rising to her cheeks, to which she succeeded. “How did you get here, in our ‘universe’ as you put it?” Faye asked using finger quotes.

Sebastian sighed, “That’s easy to explain how. But _ why _ is another story entirely. See, I overheard some fellow Guardians talking about increased activity on Mercury. Since the Vanguard, my superiors, did not even make a motion to look into it; I took it upon myself to go investigate. When I got there though, it went bad, as you can probably tell. No one knows I left, no one knows I went, and no one knows where I am. So, from a basic standpoint, I am stranded here. The Vex that were there were not nice at all. For all I know, this could be a simulation designed to break me.”

“Hold on, back up. What is this ‘Vex’?” Faye asked, “I heard you say it in your string of curses back before the relay.”

Seb nervously chuckled, “Well you see, they are these robot frames that aren’t actually robots, but the goop inside of them... Uhm, Dove, a visual please?” Dove appeared, grasping Faye’s attention and on the wall to her left showed a picture of this ‘robot’. Its legs were pointed at an angle, the joints seem to have full range of motion. The center of it was swirling with some white milky substance, and its head had one red eye and the head expanded out in a wide manner. Meaning, the head goes out a one-eighty-degree radar sweep. “That is a Goblin, then there is a Hobgoblin, a Harpy, Minotaur, Hydra, and Cyclops.” As the names were said, a new image passed Faye’s eyes, each one more creepy than the last, and each one with an appropriate scale. The room was big, but not that big.

“You fought those things?” Faye said in awe.

“Yep, a lot of the time actually. Right before they decided to bend time to its will and simulate someone from my past. It was fake, but these time-bending robots can do some sneaky shit. They tried to convince me to stay. I didn’t. Then all hell broke loose.” He rubbed the spot where that Hobgoblin shot him in the stomach. “Then I left through a portal, as that was my only option at the time. Then I woke up here, spotted your Falcons and the rest is history. That’s how, but _ why _ I don’t know.”

Faye nodded and processed the information before asking her next question. One that has been on her mind, one that she has been wanting to ask since she saw it, “How do you come back from the dead, and don’t scoot around the answer. I want a full explanation; along with an explanation about your _ abilities _.” Faye leaned back in her chair, maintaining eye contact. She was looking for lies in his words.

“The abilities are my part to explain, but as for the ‘resurrection’ stuff and all that, I’ll let Dove explain. Dove?” Seb asked his Ghost.

She shyly came out from behind Sebastian and waved a fin, her shell fidgeting nervously, “So, uhm, there is this being called the Traveler, and it came to our Solar System, in our universe, over a millennia ago. It sent our Earth into a Golden Age, where technology advanced and lifespans increased, but it only lasted so long until the Darkness came. This Darkness wiped out everything the Traveler created, causing the Collapse,” Dove showed a picture of the Traveler at about 1/128th to scale. Faye continued to look on in wonder as Dove explained her world to her. “Then the world plunged into the Dark Age, where the first Risen were made. It turned out that people were power-hungry. It was a rough two centuries of death and destruction. That was when I found Sebastian and revived him for the first time, he named himself after a street sign and motorcycle place.”

“Hey, you know Guardians don’t remember their past lives right? Not my fault, plus, the name sounds cool,” Seb defended himself, bantering with his Ghost.

Dove continued, “A Guardian’s spark is a soul that, in a way, sings to us Ghosts. I found him on a cliff in Old Colorado and I’ve been with him since, coming up on, three hundred years.”

Faye’s eyes bulged, as did the rest of Noble Team, “Now this is where I come in,” Seb intervened, “I found out I was a class of Guardian called ‘Hunter’. From the name, you can expect that I like to hunt and track things. I love exploring the wilds, like a second home. I hate exploring the inside of boring buildings, like the one I’m in now; but there is a bright side to this.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” Faye asked amused, recovering from her shock.

“I get to explain stuff that people would find crazy to other people who would find _ me _ crazy. I can see you looking into my eyes, trying to catch me on a lie, but here is the thing about me,” Seb leans forward again, hands flat on the table, “I’m not lying. Dove here, is actually physically incapable of lying.” This was new information and Faye’s gaze snapped to the ‘Ghost’. Faye can only think of the Covenant vehicle, a habit she’ll have to adapt around to.

“Back to the topic at hand, your abilities. What are they even called?” Faye interjected, trying to get Seb to elaborate on the finer details.

“‘Space Magic’,” Seb said and nothing else. He was one-hundred percent serious. His face showed that he was being truthful. Faye raised an eyebrow at him and waited for him to speak. He didn’t.

Soon enough, Seb just started laughing hysterically before sitting up, clearing his throat and apologized. Faye’s lips curled up slightly; he leaned back in the chair and sighed, “Well, I can summon a gun made of pure fire, which you saw earlier, and the blade, which you also saw earlier. Gunslinger and Bladedancer are the _ subclass _names. There is one called Nightstalker, but I know nothing about it.”

“I can see that is more of a sensitive topic, but I have another question. How did you manage your cloaking device?” Faye inquired.

Seb guffawed, “I can’t replicate it if that is what you’re implying. That ability is one of the innate traits of a Bladedancer, and unfortunately, cannot be mass-produced. I know I was off your radar when I did it, but since I know you want answers, I’ll explain this third subclass, as much as I know anyway.” Faye didn’t expect him to even speak about it, so she nodded anyway. She crossed one leg over the other and waited.

Seb took a deep breath, “The Void is dangerous to Hunters. It can really mess with your mind. I lost a couple of friends to their madness. To Titans and Warlocks, the other Guardian classes, their innate use of the Void is something to envy. I, personally, have never tried to get the Void, as it is dangerous. This Void Bow, it speaks to you, and if you speak back, then you’re in for a rough time. As I said before, not my cup of tea. Now, getting back to your point, the abilities that Dove has is something she can do. She can heal me if I’m injured, or revive me when I die. Again, as you saw with that creature, my heart did stop and I did die, but Dove can take this force, known as the Traveler’s Light, and spread it throughout my body. Dying is sometimes a daily occurrence for Guardians, to those that go into the Crucible.” Seb paused to look into her eyes, “I’ll stop you there, the Crucible is where other Guardians can kill each other for sport, not really relevant.”

Pause. “Point being, Dove is my lifeline and strength, but also my weakness. I would commit thousands of heinous crimes before I’d let her go, and if anyone outside this room even _ attempts _ to take her from me, then their blood will _ not _ be on my hands. Guardians are extremely possessive of their Ghosts, and vice versa,” Sebastian’s tone was serious, that Faye swears that she heard screaming from the other side of the window. She almost forgot they were there. “Every Ghost is unique, with a different personality. Dove is more along the lines of caring, a motherly type. She keeps me in line because I act like a child half the time.”

“Most of the time, dear Guardian,” Dove said in a sing-song voice. Faye let a small smile grace her strong features before putting her serious face on again. 

Seb caught the smile, but continued, “Ghosts are the sole reason we live. If we lost them, then we would whole-heartily join them. They were the reason they brought us back, so what would be the point to live without them?” Seb’s tone descended into sorrow.

Faye decided it best to shift topics, “You, Dove, mentioned something called ‘Light Exhaustion’, would you be so kind as to explain what it is?”

Dove perked up, her eye brightening as she started to explain, “Certainly, Madame Spartan. Light Exhaustion is what happens when a Guardian uses too much Light, it takes a toll on their bodies. That’s what we Ghosts are, a conduit of sorts. We can channel the Light from the Traveler into our core and then to their bodies and give them a burst of raw strength. If a Guardian pushes past their physical limitations, they could fall into a Light-induced coma while their body repairs itself. We can’t use the Light to heal them at that point, anymore of it could kill them, permanently,” Dove’s eye dimmed as she got the sentence out. Faye observed as Seb grabbed Dove gently and stroked the top of her shell and the latter audibly sighed in content. Their bond is quite something. 

“How do your weapons come and go?” Faye changed the topic sporadically, and she didn’t fail to notice how Sebastian’s mood changed. 

Seb scoffed and ran a hand through his hair, and Faye couldn’t help but think about doing it her- she was cut off as he started speaking, “That is actually all Dove, she has storage that can hold weapons and supplies,” he turned to his Ghost in his palm, “could I have Fatebringer, please?”

“Certainly Guardian, since you asked nicely,” Dove replied as the weapon appeared in a flourish of particles on the table.

Seb made no move to grab it as he gestured for Faye to hold it, “Go on, it won’t bite,” he said teasingly. Faye picked up the weapon and it felt heavy in her hands, heavier than the standard Magnum. 

Seb continued to explain as Faye held the weapon, “Normally we would have to use an Orbital Grid to transmat, but since Dove is much more advanced, she has her own miniature, personal one that can only work on weapons and supplies. Any satellites that you have aren’t compatible as of yet, but I won’t go near them as this bridge between us needs a lot of work.”

She nodded as she inspected the simple design of the weapon, “What’s in this?” she asked. Seb explained how to open the chamber and see what’s inside. The cylinder she saw him put in it back at the relay. “How does the gun even fire without bullets?”

“Hand Cannons, like the one in your hand, have these cylinders that have a ‘charge’ to them. They fire x number of times before having to be reloaded. That specific Cannon has thirteen in its mag size. Other guns have actual bullets and magazines, Hand Cannons are unique in that way,” Seb explained simply.

Faye put the weapon down and it disappeared again and looked at Seb’s wrist, the one with the knife device, “What is that? Your knife throwing device?”

Seb stiffened for a small moment but brushed it off. Faye saw it and decided to pursue this way. “Well, I had help from… someone who I cared for, the person I saw on Mercury, but she was… changed. She wasn’t the person I knew,” Seb broke eye contact, trying to hide the past feelings and tears coming up.

“Look at me,” Faye demanded.

Seb snapped his gaze to her, his eyes glassy, “With the help of my past lover, after an incident, my left arm was not performing to my liking. I throw knives, us Hunters have an affinity to blades. This device is a coping mechanism as well as one of my many tools. My right hand can throw just as well, but my left was always the go-to.”

Faye’s composure slipped just a tad on the word ‘lover’ but didn’t let anything else show. Even if they could not see her, she needed to keep herself together. _Am I admitting that I- No, I can’t. I _**_won’t._** “Tell me more about this _incident_,” Faye prodded gently.

However, that singular demand sent Seb’s mind back to that day. The day of destroying the replication chamber. The Iron Lords. The nanites, the horrors he saw. Watching that damn _ consume, enhance, replicate _ order take over. Watching it turn and corrupt a living being. It almost got him too. Seb flexed his arm as a reminder, the day he had to lose a piece of himself. His anger was palpable, so much so, that the table now had a small indent as evidence. Faye noticed and started drawing conclusions.

_ “No.” _

“Excuse me? You need to answer this-”

_ “I said NO! _ I will not go through it again. Not again! I already experienced it. It haunts my dreams, it haunts me to this very day. So many times I tried to find another way, but I couldn’t! I _ failed _ that day, but I am **not** explaining it to _ you _, you emotionless freak!”

Faye felt a pang of hurt, but also could see his eyes. His eyes swimming with torment, agony, and loss. His rage is making him lose any composure he had up until this point. This had shadowed him for a long time, it seems, but that did not mean the words hurt. “Sebastian.”

He was not having it, “Don’t you _ dare _ start with me. Unlike you Spartans, we have _ emotions _ , they weren’t suppressed. We are human, we’re allowed to feel emotion. Unlike you emotionless soldiers who don’t give a damn about morality. Every single Guardian has experienced loss and tried to move on with it. Some have, some have not. You cannot just expect me to open up like this! There are things I’m willing to tell, but _ that _ is not one of them.” At this point Seb had stood up and walked around the table, staring her down.

“Touch me, and you will deal with severe consequences,” Faye warned.

“I don’t give a damn about consequences, not while I’m stuck here in this world who treats me to act like you. You wanna know something?” Faye just maintained eye contact. “Every single Guardian, in one way or another, has some form of PTSD. Some have only mental, but others… Others have mental _ and _ physical. That day, I came out as a different man. That day, I was no longer the naive Guardian who thought they were on top of the world. That day, I got a lesson in arrogance. So, do not even _ hint _ at my potential repercussions. That will not stop me.”

“Guardian, come here,” Dove cooed, breaking the small silence that formed after Seb’s words. Seb went back around the table, sat down, put his head down on the table and started shaking. Dove was under the table looking up at her Guardian. She was there too, she knows what he is feeling, on a much dimmer level, but it does not make it any easier.

Sebastian was not shaking as in crying; he was shaking as the repressed memories came crawling out of the hole they were supposed to die in. At this point, Faye did not know how he kept himself together for this long. She wanted to console him, she wanted to be a pillar he could lean on, but not only are her superiors watching, but her team is too. Faye turned around to look at the window, she only saw her reflection, but she could feel the eyes on her.

She decided now was the best time to leave. She stood up, making the chair push across the floor. Seb didn’t bother to look up. Everyone leaves. Everyone leaves him, whether by his own actions or theirs; he did not make a move to stop her either, and a small part of him wishes that he should have. Faye closed the door and walked back to the viewing room.

The rest of Noble Team waited for her. She spoke before anyone else, “You satisfied, sir?”

The first question came from Kat, “How was he approved for active duty?” Emile grumbled in agreement. Jun’s eyes were stuck on Sebastian’s form. Jorge just stroked his beard in thought; he knows what it is like to have those kinds of memories.

Faye deadpanned Kat, “You wanna ask him? Be my guest, sister.”

“Maybe I will,” Kat said as she made a move for the door, and Faye grabbed her arm, her robotic arm.

“If my predictions are correct, don’t ask about what happened. From what he said, which was not much obviously, he won’t want to talk about it, but he may empathize with you more,” Faye said, telling her to watch her words, but also understand that he may not even open up to her.

Sebastian, meanwhile, still had his head down. Who knew one single question could break him? One question, that wasn’t even really a question, made him think of her and how _ disfigured _ she looked.

The door opened and the Spartan they called Kat entered, “What, one wasn’t enough?” Sebastian is just about at his talking limit. “Think you can _ empathize _ with me?”

Time stopped as Kat just stared at him, then she turned around to the window as if to ask, ‘how did he?’ No one else supplied an answer.

“Your security is weak compared to what I’ve seen,” Seb said simply, his eyes closed, his fingers rubbing the weariness out of his face. Kat turned the chair around and sat down in it, her normal arm over the back of the chair.

“Go on,” Kat’s accent thickened as she was not in the mood to play games.

“Where I come from, Ghosts like Dove can hack into most things. At this current moment, she is the one who disabled the audio sensors in the room you provided me. How she knew what you said in the adjacent room is she told me what you were saying. Your security is so outdated that I could give it to a ten-year-old child on the streets of the City and they could crack the encryptions in fifteen minutes, if not under a half-hour. I could do it in five. Dove can do it in a fraction of that time. She has hacked some of the most encrypted databases in my universe and that took an hour, this is mere child’s play, no pun intended, to her.” Seb leaned back, his eyes still closed as he said this. His leg was bouncing up and down, trying to think thoughts that don’t go back there. “You guys didn’t trust me, so I did what I did to find out _ why _ . Don’t you understand that I _ want _ to help you? I _ want _ to help you fight this war, but I want you to trust me, even if it’s just a little smidge,” Seb held up a thumb and finger and put them close together without touching to demonstrate his point.

“Why should we?” Kat asked.

“Didn’t I just give you like seven reasons why I could be an asset to you, yet you choose to waste my time and yours to do this ‘interrogation’. I would be able to upgrade your security systems, with step by step instructions, and give it more firewalls and allow potential hacking into your enemies’ databases; what is there not to want?”

“No guarantees that’ll work, but put it under consideration,” Kat said, although she is interested.

“Is that all, or can I go slump in the lovely quarters you provided?” Seb asked nicely, now bored and has reached his limit.

Kat turned around and looked at the window, but Seb was looking back through the window, his eyes landed on Faye, who was standing on the right side of the room. Thanks to Dove, he can see where she is standing. Seb grabbed his helmet and put it back on, before throwing his hood back up.

The door opened and the ODSTs from before came in, waiting. Sebastian spoke, his voice devoid of any emotion, “Dove, one more thing, give them back their controls and let me know if they spread the audio from this point on. It will remain here and only here,” Seb doesn’t want the world to know he exists yet, but he also doesn’t want people to hear his breakdown. There are times where he just wants to be left alone. 

* * *

The ODSTs escorting him did not make a single comment on the way back as they dropped him off into his ‘temporary’ room. Seb immediately shut the door and sat in the free chair placed there. “Dove, could you please get me my out-of-armor clothes out? I’ll get them on myself, take a rest little Light.”

“Sebastian, we need to talk about that comment you made. Even for you, that was out of line,” Dove gently scolded him.

Seb huffed as he took his armor off, starting with the cloak, then the helmet, then the chest plate, then the legs, and then the gauntlets. He hesitated on the left one though. Even though he accepted that it happened, a part of him resents it, but he had to do it, otherwise, he would have died that day too. “I know Dove, but I hit my breaking point, and from what you told me, their training programs did not allow them to express themselves. To not show emotion means they hollowed out half the person,” Seb could his Ghost’s eye on him. “Yes, Dove, I will give them a formal apology when I’ve cooled off. Speaking of cooling off, did you find a way where I can sneak outside and look at the sky? That room didn’t sit well with me.”

“Yes, Guardian, I did, but I won’t reveal it to you until you apologize to them, Specifically Faye. Don’t think I did not see the way you two looked at each other. You two are compatible,” Dove said casually. “Your heart rates spiked accordingly.”

Sebastian choked on his spit as he got his clothes on, “What? No Dove, that just isn’t true. No. It isn’t.”

“Keep telling yourself that Guardian,” Dove teased before going serious, “Do you want to relax with it off?”

Seb sighed for what felt like the millionth time today, “No, I’ll leave it on,” Seb left his gauntlet on as he doesn’t want to go through the pain of it all. It was bad enough he was reminded of it then, but the memories hurt. Too much happened too fast and he regrets it.

It was simple, that mission, but when they got there, it went worse than Eris’ descent into the pit back on Lua. So much happened, and he paid the price for it. It made Seb feel survivor’s guilt for years to come. It left a lasting impression...

“Are you alright?” a voice came from the door. Seb grabbed the one knife he keeps under his armor and on his person at all times and threw it at the door. It went to the right of its target and stuck to the metal doorframe. Seb may or may not have charged that knife with Solar Light, making it puncture the wall. The person that was standing in the doorway was none other than Faye. 

“I’m fine, but don’t ever do that again,” Seb said, his voice hard, as he pulled the knife out of the doorframe, not looking into her eyes. The eyes that make him feel something. Something he hasn’t let himself go from. “Now, why are you here?”

“I came to talk to you, in a non-interrogation format, since I didn’t get to ask the _ real _ question that was on my mind, but it wasn’t professional of me to ask since what happened was between you and me,” Faye said, leaning against the doorframe.

“Well, get on with it, you Spartans are efficient, that much is accurate from the little I’ve gathered from you and your team,” Seb said turning around, speaking over his shoulder. Faye nodded to his words, even though he wasn’t looking, “You can come in, I’m not going to bite,” he said in his now-signature teasing tone. “I am sorry for my comment during the interrogation, it was out of line and I didn’t mean it. I just…”

“Hit your breaking point?” Faye finished his sentence. “Don’t beat yourself up over it, we get those comments on the daily from the ODSTs,” yet the apology coming from Seb eased her mind.

“I could kill those troopers if you want? They wouldn’t know it was me…” Seb suggested.

“Not necessary,” Faye pushed herself off the doorframe and went to the other free chair that sat on the opposite side of the room. Faye cut to the chase, “What did that Elite in Visegrád Relay actually say to you? I didn’t bring it up back there, nor in the relay, but it wasn’t about honor or whatever crap excuse you gave me. It said something to you, that set you off, and I want to know what.”

Sebastian tsked before laying down on the cot placed in the corner of the room, “It’s my turn to ask questions. I answered all yours except one,” Seb held up a finger for emphasis. “So you owe me now. I need to know what world I’m in, what history has led this ‘Covenant’ here. I want an actual explanation, and _ maybe _ , just _ maybe, _I can tell you more about my world.”

“That seems fair, so are-”

“I want your word that this will stay between us and only us. Only bring in the rest of your team when _ absolutely _necessary,” Seb pointed at Faye, his eyes finally meeting hers. Faye said nothing for a few moments. A few moments too long, “If you aren’t going to agree, then-”

“You have my word, Sebastian,” Faye said, gaining Seb’s full attention.

“Well then, care to explain the history of your universe’s version of Humanity?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... How'd I do? Is it what you expected? Not what you expected? Did you have an idea of where I was going with the plot? Do you like how I've written the characters? Yes, I know Noble six is 1000% OOC, but I can't pull off the silent protagonist, I love dialogue too much.
> 
> Next chapter is the reverse and I'm sorry if they feel like filler chapters, but Canon Divergence FTW. Don't worry, it's only going up from here.
> 
> FYI, still nervous when I update. Anytime I get an email about a comment, I'm internally freaking out.  
Have a wonderful day!
> 
> -Horus  
Someone on FF pointed out something I do a lot. Show and Tell, a horrible habit. Hopefully, I fixed it.
> 
> I am confident in my plot that I have so far, and I'm also just excited.


	6. A Brief Pause

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I actually had this chapter done on like the 6th, but I needed to space it out, because it would allow me to check over it to my liking. I know I feel like I'm doing a lot of show and tell, but it is needed because it allows all characters to have an even playing field, so to speak.
> 
> So, here is the next Chapter in CBR!

Noble Team watched as the Guardian was escorted away by the ODSTs. Kat came back into the room as the machines that were previously disabled reactivated, giving control over audio and video back to the tech people present in the room. “So, he wasn’t lying about it. There is a note from Dove,” one of the tech people says.

“What does it say?” Jorge asked.

“Well, it is a well-written threat if the audio from this session gets replicated, leaked, or anything that exposes him. She also apologizes for her Guardian’s comment. His breaking point was reached and said the first thing he knew about you Spartans,” they said.

Faye felt _ something _ from that, maybe. If only she actually acknowledged it. She still didn’t get to ask the question she really wanted to ask. That Elite in the relay; she will go talk to him about it, without the interrogation background. Yet, she is also curious about him. These are dangerous waters she is treading. “Sir, permission to go speak with him, _ without _ the pressure of audio?”

“Granted, Six. Don’t bother to report it back to us, because he trusts you more. If this,” referencing the fiasco that happened prior, “is anything to go by, he talks to you more.”

As soon as Faye left the room, Emile immediately said, “So, is it just me who sees it?”

“No,” the rest of the team chorused in unison, all chuckling to themselves.

* * *

“So, tell me, what brought this Covenant to your world? You said they declared war in what year?” Seb asked as his hands laced behind his head, supporting himself on the cot, as Faye has her eyes focused on a point in the room.

“They declared war in the year 2525 after making contact with them on the planet Harvest, and we have been at war since then. I can’t tell you about the program since it is classified, but knowing you, you probably had a little bird peep into the files,” her eyes full of amusement and slight accusation. Seb’s guilty grin gave it away, but it was immediately replaced with a frown.

“Morally that is just low what they did, but I cannot make an opinion on something I know little to nothing about. I will ask, and feel free to decline, did the entire ‘becoming an orphan thing’ affect you?” Seb asked, not feeling like trying to fight a Spartan in close quarters

“No actually,” Seb’s eyebrows shot up at the confession, “I was volunteered. Parents didn’t really care, they probably think I’m dead.”

Seb thought about his comment earlier, it nags at him, “Well, at least you have a family. I don’t know if I ever had one… Anyway, continue on with the post-program.”

Faye nodded and thought about what she could actually say and how she could say it in as few words as possible, but her heart panged as he said that he never knew nor remembers what a family is or was. Now, explaining isn’t Faye’s strong suit. “The program was something that not many of the Spartans talk about. After Alpha Company was… KIA, they began training more and more of us, unwillingly. They didn’t care, they told us we were expendable. Only three hundred Spartans per company. The reason for our codenames is because there were over four hundred that were put through training and ONI had first picks on who they wanted for their own use.”

“And they chose you,” Seb inferred. Faye only nodded her head.

“You haven’t looked at my file, have you?” She asked, feeling quite insecure for some reason.

Seb sat up from the cot and began to take his armor and clean the blood and grime off it, finally. Thanks to Dove, she had those cleaning supplies ready, Seb sat up and put his elbows on his knees, hunched forward, holding the respective pieces. “No, I haven’t. Dove mentioned that it was an invasion of privacy, something I felt like is needed. You haven’t talked about it and I haven’t pestered you about it. That would be something you tell me about when you feel ready.”

Faye let out a breath of relief, one that she didn’t think she would need, “Thank you.” she pushed a strand of hair that fell out of her face. Seb was staring, his eyes distant, like he was remembering something. “Any other questions?”

“Do you know why the Covenant showed up? Like, why bother coming to this neck of the Galaxy?” Seb figured his line of questioning would help determine their next move. What does this Covenant have planned?

Faye shook her head, “No, they just did and started their mission, believing it for the name of their religion. Many people died. It was a genocide on Harvest. They have been targeting Earth’s colonies, searching for something, for what, we don’t know.”

“My question is, what do they have to gain from it? Meaning, what benefits do they have to procure from this?” Seb asked, almost philosophically.

“Once again, a lot is unknown about the Covenant, only that it has six main races, from what we know. The Sangheili, the Elites. The Jiralhanae, the Brutes. The Mgalekgolo, or the contradicting term of Hunter,” Seb rolled his eyes in amusement, “The Drones, or Yanme’e. The Jackals, or Kig-Yar, and the Unggoy, the Grunts. These make up the Covenant, but we don’t know if there is any higher power,” Faye explained.

Seb finished cleaning his armor, at least the chest and helmet, nodding to Faye’s words. Dove showed him a mental image of these creatures. He thought about taking his gauntlet off, but that would mean… something unimportant. “Besides the Covenant, what was the point of my ‘interrogation’?”

“Besides the fact that you are an anomaly in our world, we wanted to make sure you aren’t some Covenant spy, because if you were, then you wouldn’t have left that room alive,” Faye said in a deadly tone. Seb felt a sliver of fear go down his spine; he knew she wasn’t kidding either.

“Noted,” Seb said stiffly. “Another question, which you may get upset for, but what is ‘Hyper Lethal Vector’? I’ve heard of deadly, but this feels like a whole other classification.”

Faye chuckled darkly, “You’re right, that’s saying if you mess with me, pray I don’t find you. With the number of missions I’ve been on, you don’t wanna know.”

“Hmm, I knew there was something underneath all this ‘good girl’ routine I thought you had. You are just a deadly badass in disguise. Maybe I was wrong…” he mused, looking away

“Wrong about what?” Faye inquired.

Seb seemed to snap out of his pondering state, “Nothing, just thinking to myself.” _ Lie _, Faye thought to herself, but she wouldn’t push. Maybe one day, she’ll get that answer.

“Is that all you need to know?” Faye asked, her eyes betraying her excitement to ask her questions. Why does she have such an interest? Spartans are confusing people, and Faye is confusing.

“For now yes, should I have other questions, I assume I’ll seek you out?” Seb asked.

“Yes, now, what did that Sangheili say to you, and don’t start lying to me now,” Faye said, ironically, but she wanted to know because when she saw him, his posture was unnaturally stiff like something triggered his reaction.

“It’s not _ what _ it said, it was _ how _ it said it,” Seb said, his armor seemingly more interesting than eye contact. His hand went to his arm, the armored one, curious. “I’ve heard those words said to me more than once, by the people of the City, the people we protect. It just brings up old wounds, but sometimes the best way to rid of the infection is to tear it open, let it drain, and then let it heal on its own.”

So, Seb has heard these exact words before? Seb made eye contact with Faye, his eyes speaking for him, “You’ve been told those exact words by the citizens of your City, but what _ were _ the words?”

“They, the people, can’t _ smell _ that well, those Elites though, they can. As I said before, I was dead at one point, a mere pile of bones, or less when Dove found me. Just guess, you’re a smart young woman, have high amounts of deductive reasoning. You figure out what it said that put me off and caused me to say this ‘crap excuse’,” Seb said, beating around the bush, but also very subtly telling her what the Elite said.

Faye leaned back in the chair in thought, “That crap excuse was merely a deflect,” Seb nodded. “You also can come back from the dead, so let me guess, the Elite said you smell and that irked you?”

“What does a dead person smell like, Faye?” Seb questioned, irritated, but that didn’t stop Faye from feeling slightly warmer than in the last five seconds.

“Like a bunch of maggots and rotten flesh,” Faye supplied her answer.

“Which in turn, smells-”

“Like death…” Realization crossed her whole being. “It said you smelled like a dead person and that’s what has you worried?” Faye looked like she almost laughed, like genuinely laughed, but she took a look at Seb’s face. His jaw was clenched as if he was biting his tongue.

“No, it was what was said after that. Dove, you kept a recording of it for when we had time?” Seb turned to a corner where Dove appeared, her eye looking sympathetic.

“I do, but I know what they said and I may know what they mean,” Dove said slowly, fearing her Guardian’s reaction.

Seb’s eyes became ablaze as he looked at Dove, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Dove shrunk back, “I-I needed time to make sure my assumptions were more than that, assumptions, and I can say that they are now a fact. I would have brought it up later when she wasn’t here, no offense Madame Spartan, but since you’re here, you need to hear it as well.”

Dove faced the wall and her optic lit up and showed them back in the relay. Seb has just watched the Elite sniff the air and that’s when Seb charged. ** _“_ ** ** _A Demon. You are not like the others. Your smell is different, like death. Curious. The Prophets would be interested in a specimen like you,” _ **said the Elite as Seb declared for their prophets to die.

The video feed cut there and Faye’s gaze tore into the side of Sebastian. Seb winced as he slowly turned his blue eyes to meet her brown ones. Her arms were crossed and she had a stance of pissed off. “What? I didn’t care, I thought it was talking about some other thing. I just wanted it to shut up.”

“Do you realize what this means?” Faye questioned him, “The Covenant have put a target on your back, they are going to do whatever means necessary to take you prisoner and force you to tell them how they can do what you do.”

Seb looked at her dead serious and started laughing like a maniac; he looked up to see her face still serious, but that prompted more laughter. “If you don’t stop laughing, I’m going to put you into the wall.”

That made Seb bite his tongue because from her body language, she meant that literally. She could easily make him one with the wall if she so chose. “Alright, I should be worried about this why? Do you think they are going to kidnap _ me _ when I’m with Spartans? To clarify, this isn’t arrogance, this is merely me brushing it off. If worst comes to worst, I’ll improvise,” Seb shrugged. Hell, Cayde always improvises, so why can’t he?

“The Covenant doesn’t take prisoners, but when they do, it’s for a specific reason… Information. They torture them mercilessly, even when they are begging for their lives. Even after they tell them what they want, they torture them some more, because they are sadistic monstrosities and they-”

Seb cut Faye off, “Is that _ concern _ I hear? Listen, Faye. I took care of myself for years, before and after the dark spot in my past. You are to focus on the mission. You can’t break your mold and ruin your reputation for me. I am not worth that. You keep doing you, and I’ll keep doing me. That doesn’t mean you won’t see the last of me, I’ll find a way to stick around. It’s late, you should get some sleep, the bags around your eyes suggest that you barely sleep.”

“Yours do too,” Faye muttered, backing down because he is right. Why is concerning herself over him? Why does she seem to _ care _ ? The only things she should _ care _ about is her armor, the mission, and her life in that order. 

“Insomniac. Hunters are absolutely notorious for being victims of this. We stay out in the wilds for weeks on end, running on little to no sleep. Sometimes, the most sleep we get is by blinking throughout the day,” Seb said with nonchalance. “Run along, Faye, I’ll still be on base if it’ll calm you down.”

Faye didn’t take him for an insomniac, her gaze searching his face, “If you’re like me, you get used to the lack of sleep, to the point of when six hours feels like fifteen. Don’t concern yourself over me. Now,” he slightly pushed her to the door and was about to close it on her, but she grabbed his arm; the arm still covered by his armor. “Let go, please,” his voice now tense, wavering ever so slightly.

Faye wanted to confront him about it, but his eyes, once again, tell that it is bringing up that dark spot in his past. She decided to let it go, and leave him without a parting goodbye. Yet, in her mind, she thought it best, but her heart thought different.

As soon as he shut the door, his hand went over his heart, where it was stretching the confines of his chest cavity, his breathing heavy, his forehead lined with sweat. “Dove, what is she doing to me?”

“Oh sweetie, _ that _… that is some high tension you have there,” Dove teased.

* * *

Sebastian, with the help of Dove, got outside. They were still on base, but they were in a secluded area where no lights were present. Seb got dressed in his armor, post-cleaning. He wanted the armor to absorb the scent of his surroundings. It’s a Hunter thing. Seb thought it would be best to get a layout of the place and take time to relax. “Dove, how long have we been here?”

“Four hours, why?” Not the answer he was looking for.

“No, I mean _ here _ , in this universe. Have you tried to contact Cayde? Ikora? Anyone back home?” Seb clarified. What he wouldn’t do for a bowl of spicy ramen. _ Damn you Cayde for getting me hooked on it _.

“I’ve tried but nothing has gone through, it is like they don’t exist yet, and as for how long we’ve been here for… now that can’t be right?” Seb looked at his Ghost, waiting for her to elaborate. Her shell, which needs cleaning, the rose gold becoming dull. Mental note for when he has time. “It says we have been here for _ sixteen _ hours, Sebastian.”

“That can’t possibly be true… We’ve only been here for six hours if that! Is the planet’s rotation slower? Or does time work differently here? If you say the second one, I’m confirming we are in a Vex simulation.”

“We aren’t, but I guess we aren’t on a twenty-four-hour schedule either, and yes the planet rotates slower, making days longer” Dove explained, having this information ready for when Seb finally noticed. Dove had this ready as soon as they arrived on the planet. 

“Okay, so not a Vex simulation,” Sebastian had tried to sleep that night, to no avail, because he couldn’t find the will to keep his mind from replaying the entire conversation, and that was after Faye left. He realized, that he was actually staring at Faye longer than normal, how he would subtly smirk when she would. Hence why he was outside and not currently in his bunk like he supposed to be. It made him feel like a little boy crushing on the one girl who gives them candy at lunch, such a simple time back then.

Okay, the scenario is completely impossible to imagine, but the point stands. Sebastian has only felt this _ pull _ to someone only once before, who he knew as Rosalina. An important part of his life, she was, until that day.

“Ugh, I need to stop making comparisons in my head. Dove, is this…” Seb asked, but was interrupted by Dove, having noticed his line of thought.

“Yes, in the process of finding a suitable mate for you, one usually experiences the following: Increased heart rate, sweating, nervousness around potential mate, fidgeting, increased mental thoughts,” Seb cringed as he is guilty of that. Like, come on, a gorgeous woman in a bodysuit that accented her curves? That is just dirty thoughts delivered on a silver platter. “And my personal favorite, _ mutual _ attraction.”

Seb snapped his eyes to Dove who was giving him the Ghost equivalent of a smug look, “Yes Guardian, I am serious. She may not show it, but the subtle signs are there. Right now, she is in the awkward part, admitting that she can feel. I still am a little upset that you made that comment, but to even say it to their face, let alone at all is still a disrespect, but you were right to tell her to leave. Otherwise, you would have told her.”

Seb wanted to refute her point, but in truth, he would have. He actually enjoys her company. From what he has seen from her file, which honestly wasn’t much, she has never been engaged with anyone, even the other Spartans. Even they had ‘flings’ proving they are capable of _ some _ emotion, but that’s neither here nor there. From the time he was with Noble Team, albeit a short time, he managed to find something in each of them. Something that has developed in each of them and he likes that. It proves him wrong.

“Seriously? You’re using the word ‘mate’, we aren’t… what they called, ‘werewolves?’” the Ghost’s optic only radiated smugness, but Sebastian admitted defeat, “but, you’re right, I would have told her, and I’m glad that I didn’t. This trust that was broken needs to build up again before I’m ready to admit it.”

“Admit what?” a new voice came in. Seb turned to find Jun, nursing a cup of coffee. Mental note then. Quite a surprise to see him, in all honesty.

“Nothing, what are you doing up…” Seb let the question trail off. Jun interpreted the look on his face and nodded.

“You can call me Jun, Sebastian. I know your little companion, your Ghost, already knows a great deal about us,” Jun took a sip of his coffee, “Shouldn’t you be inside the base?”

Seb chuckled, “Shouldn’t you?” he replied in jest. Jun scoffed, but otherwise asked why he was out here again. Seb replied, “Insomnia. I can’t sleep even if I tried. That, and I missed the stars. They bring me a sense of calmness, a reason.”

“Is it true that you could upgrade our security?” Jun asked with more enthusiasm than planned, but how could he not? To see someone get past the high-end security in mere seconds is fascinating beyond anything that he could ever imagine and he’s a Spartan-III.

“Very well could, but I’m not ready to,” Seb’s face went serious. “I’ll be honest, you all broke my trust, and maybe that’s my own fault for giving it out so freely, but where I’m from, trust is just a commodity. Something we have because of how little there are of us,” he looked over to see Jun staring at him in question. “Sorry, rambling. Point being, I’m not going to touch any of your systems until I can establish a fair amount of trust in each one of you. I know I’m completely out of place, and here I sit, feeling more and more like an outcast than anything else.”

“Well, Six doesn’t seem to think so,” Jun said lowly to himself, but Seb didn’t catch it. Dove did though, of course.

“Tell me what you know about Faye,” Seb asked, but it sounded more like a demand.

“Why would I do that? You have her file, you have mine, you have everyone’s file, so why bother asking when you can read it?” Jun countered.

“Reading a file does not give someone a full view of the person. It’s in my nature to see the person in action. A file can note down certain hobbies or interests, but those are mere words on a piece of paper, those aren’t the actual person. The person has the power to prove whether or not those words are true,” Sebastian brought up many valid points. A person is a person based on who they are, to make judgments about a person because of words on a page, is wrong, in Sebastian’s opinion.

“You know that she is the deadliest Spartan to ever exist? She is a woman with only one equal and no one has heard from him in fifteen years,” Jun wanted him to see the militaristic side of her. He has seen the ‘human’ side of her, but he hasn’t heard the stories.

“I know this, and yet you don’t see me running away in fear. I know some of the things that she has done, under your Navy’s command. I also know that I don’t make judgments on people’s past actions,” he turned to face Jun, “Think of it this way, we are all snakes and what do you snakes do? Shed their skin, granted only like once in their lives, to my knowledge, but the fact is each day is a new day to shed our skin. This is something my mentor told me… let’s just say back when I first met him.” Sebastian continued to think of another way to put it. Nothing really came to him, but Jun nodded at his example. “Well, I should probably go inside before the base goes on high alert that their ‘VIP’ has ‘escaped’. If I wanted to escape, it would have been as soon as I got here. My stay was a courtesy.”

Jun watched him walk away as someone else came behind him. “I assume you heard all that, Commander?”

A sigh, “I did, he’s got heart, but some things you can’t just walk into.” Carter knew that Sebastian has the heart to do whatever is necessary, but they also don’t know the true extent of his abilities.

* * *

“Wait, repeat that again? Am I hearing things now?” Sebastian asked Carter the next morning at the mission briefing. Sebastian knew Carter was outside last night, but never brought it up, but this news surprised him. Honestly, Seb expected to be told to stay here.

“Yes, you’re being assigned to Noble,” Carter said flatly.

All of Noble Team was present, in armor, and Sebastian was in his Guardian armor. He refused the UNSC’s technicians to ‘help’ with his armor. ‘Help’ meant take away, study and never give back. So, he politely declined, or he may have flashed a knife, but minor details.

“You realize I never agreed to become part of your military. Consider this, I’ll ‘join’ but when I operate, I have my unique way of doing things. Something you will have to just to adjust to. However, should anything need your permission, I will ask for it,” Seb said as the rest of Noble looked at him like he was the craziest son of a bitch to ever live. Which in some cases, is true.

Auntie Dot had seen this person and was curious and tried to communicate with him. She was blocked by another program, alias Dove. “It’s cute how you think your AI thinks they could get into my systems,” Dove said. “I’m beginning to understand the trust issues you have with them. Any and all information, besides what my Guardian has told you is classified. Anything that he deems worthy of telling you, he will. If you continue trying to access my files, then I will figure out where you are and delete you from existence,” Dove is defensive about her data, and Seb too. No one tries to get dirt on him without her knowing about it.

“Dove, you have to be nice. If I have to, then you have to. It’s only fair, little Light,” Sebastian said, arms crossed, looking at the ceiling of the briefing room in exasperation.

No one else heard Dove’s incoherent mumblings, apart from Sebastian. He laughed softly as he looked back down into the eyes of six Spartans. “So, what will be his designation?” asked Emile.

Designation. The word you become. The word that will be your name until you die or get a transfer. Guardians don’t have designations, but he is willing to conform to this only for the sake of argument. “Are we calling him Noble Seven? Or something else?” Kat inquired.

“If I may suggest something, could my designation be Guardian Seven? G7 for short? ‘G’ for what I am and seven for being the seventh member?” Sebastian asked, looking around the table to get everyone’s opinion.

Carter looked at Seb, then to Kat, who shrugged, then back to Seb, ”Alright then, _ G7 _, welcome to Noble Team.” The rest of Noble nodded and that was that.

Seb nodded in return and put his helmet on, then put up his hood, obscuring most of his mask. The helmet itself had a balaclava with wolves on it, giving him an assassin look, which was new, come to think of it. Faye noticed this on his armor but never asked for the significance of it. Her armor obscured her face as well, but when Seb looked at Six, all he could see was the brown eyes that captivated him, which makes his heart beat slightly faster. The Guardian prays that no one has heartbeat technology active. Something he has no control over, the conversation that Dove told him about potential mates, but her? He is not sure if he can keep a professional standard when his thoughts become lost around her.

Faye has his heartbeat locked as soon as he entered the room. She knew that when he looks at her, his blood starts pumping. This is what she was afraid of. Her silent fear, her unspoken worry. He has or is developing feelings for her. The fact of the matter is, she can’t have these feelings because she _ has _ no feelings. That was something that she knew was impossible. She was meant to be expendable. Sebastian knew this fact, and he would do anything to stop her from trying to play the hero. She would have to distance herself from him. The question remains if she wants to though. “Sir, where are we needed?”

“We are being deployed to ONI Sword Base. The Covenant have made their move, and we are needed to respond. Wheels up in fifteen. Dismissed,” Carter ordered. Sebastian leaned off the table and turned. He needed to check over his gear again. His weapons need a test fire, so naturally, he found the firing range. The bench down there was huge so he asked Dove to give him weapons one by one as he checked them. Sebastian started small with Ironwreath-D and ended with the heavy Gjallarhorn. Faye was observing in the background.

“I know you’re standing there, Six,” Sebastian said as he slapped the rocket chamber closed and it disappeared seconds later. “I don’t think you need to worry about me and you don’t have to say anything. I don’t want to be the reason either of us slips up, so I think we have to be further apart, as in, only communicating when necessary.”

Faye didn’t even make a move, but those words hurt more than they should have. “Trust me, it would be better this way,” _doesn’t mean I’m happy about it._ Seb’s hands leaned on the table. “I can tell, even from here, without Dove, without even turning around, that you are upset, but can you do me a favor?”

“What is it?” Faye almost didn’t want to know.

“Act like I don’t exist, like I never showed up. It would make it… _ better, easier _,” the rest of Seb’s sentence, he choked on, not that he couldn’t get the words out, but his emotions are overpowering his reason. He eventually said, “But this does not mean I despise you, in fact, its the opposite, I actually enjoy your company, but the mission comes first. Isn’t that your Spartan motto?”

Seb finally turned around to see Faye right in front of him. He said nothing, and she said nothing. Their helmets were on, but they both could imagine what their eyes looked like. Faye wanted to see his cobalt blue irises and Sebastian wanted to see her caramel brown irises. Faye held her hand up, and Seb took a second to look at her hand and he raised up his to meet hers.

Before Seb could join his armored hand with hers, Jorge’s voice came through the comms, _ “Come on you two, we are leaving! We got some Covies to kill!” _ Seb brought his attention to their proximity and ripped his hand away before Faye could grab it and interlock their fingers. He walked by her with haste. Faye clenched her fist and felt the small pain in her chest again, but it felt much worse than before. She shouldn’t be feeling this way at all. She shouldn’t be able to _ feel _ anything like this.

“Don’t worry about him, Madame Spartan. It hurts him as much as it hurts you, but deep down, you know he is right, that and he’s not ready for this level of… commitment again,” Dove appeared in front of her, giving her a sympathetic look. “I predict both of you will come around when the right situation presents itself,” Dove clinked her fins against Faye’s visor before vanishing in a display of pixels. The act of affection she has seen only once, meaning Dove trusts her, at least, a little more than before.

Well, that made the ache go away somewhat, and it also makes Faye wonder if something _ is _ going to happen. Even so, even after all her missions, this one will be the most challenging to overcome. 

Still, she had many questions coinciding with his recent behavior. For example, why is he hesitant? Sebastian does not give off the aura of being shy or timid. Normally, men of his stature would be confident, sometimes overly so. So, why is he being shy with her? Why does he seem so scared of what is going to happen? Why does it seem like she is not getting the full story? _ These lines of questions will be the reason you die because of something stupid Faye, get your head back on right and erase him from your mind. _

Faye wants nothing more to grill him on these questions, asking with high insistency, but that would only push him further and Faye is unsure if she wants that. Right now, the only thing driving her now is the lust to kill Covenant, and that is what her focus should be on. 

She only hopes that it’s enough.


	7. Boots on the Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian and Noble Team arrive at Sword Base and a small confrontation occurs, and some tiny detail is referenced. Afterward, Sebastian lets Kat and Faye know how much he likes his Gjallarhorn.
> 
> _Let's be real, Gjallarhorn was best Exotic D1 imo._

Faye followed Seb shortly after he left the room. The Falcon that would deliver them to Sword Base would only stick around to drop them off and go elsewhere. Faye stepped into the Falcon and had her DMR and Magnum at the ready. She then noticed Seb in the opposite Falcon, arms crossed, and head down. Judging by the rise and fall of his chest, he seems to be getting a power nap. “What’s our ETA to the base, sir?” Faye asked Carter.

_ “Twenty Mikes. Status?” _ One asked over their commlink; his mood now in Commander mode.

“Green, Commander. Let’s go make the Covenant regret ever stepping foot on Reach,” Six replied in a monotone voice, going back to her roots, getting herself prepped to battle.

_ “Then what are we waiting for, I’m a little frustrated and I need an outlet. The Covenant will do just fine,”  _ Seb said from the Falcon across from her on comms. Faye assumed he wasn’t sleeping after all then. Yet, even after all this, Faye still had those lingering questions on her mind. She gritted her teeth and sat back after finishing her weapon checks.

Sebastian had to downplay how he feels. It sucks, immensely. He wants to open up to her, but he knows better. Something could happen where somehow he gets sucked back into his reality and then finds out he was only gone for five minutes. Dove can feel the turmoil rolling off her Guardian in waves, and she can only nuzzle into the crook of his neck so much.

Sebastian asked Dove to get the Hatchet and Verdict ready, something tells him that he needs some medium to close quarters weapons for this. Seb also asked to get the Hammer ready. A little  _ oomph _ can go a long way. First, Hakkon’s Hatchet appeared, looking green as ever, the Iron Banner wolves symbol painted on the chipping metal. Sebastian checked the weapon over, removing the magazine and replacing it with a new one from his pouch before pulling the bolt back, loading a round in the chamber. Sebastian nodded to Dove and the weapon vanished.

The Hunter did the same thing with the Found Verdict shotgun. It appeared in his hands and he checked it over. The gun had a bronze Vex coloration on it, but it was a weapon he found in the Vault decades ago, still fires true considering how rusted it looks. It always points to guilty as whoever is at the receiving end of the barrel, so how can he complain? He loaded the shells into the underbarrel and pumped one into the chamber before it disappeared as well. He would do the machine gun later if/when he needs it.

Noble Team looked on curiously as he did weapon checks. Jun was impressed. Emile feigned his distaste. Carter thought it impossible for guns to just come and go, then again, he already witnessed it before, so he shouldn’t be surprised. In the other Falcon, Jorge didn’t pay attention. Kat’s attention wasn’t on Sebastian; it was on Faye. Faye’s attention was on Sebastian as he did his routine checks with ease.

Kat could see the younger Spartan, only by mere days but still, the younger Spartan’s attention was on this Guardian. Kat smiled beneath her helmet.  _ She’s finally starting to see that we are not all machines.  _ Yet, even through the smile, she could feel the tension between them, the bad kind of tension or it was the good kind  _ or _ is it both? A question unanswered as both Falcons went around a small mountain. Kat elected to say nothing to Faye, as pissing her off is something Kat learned one too many times back when the sparred. Faye can be vengeful, but tactically so. Her rage is what drives her but it does not  _ control _ her, unlike most people.

After his weapon checks, Sebastian let a Light construct appear in his hands, a coin, a green coin, the size of a US half-dollar coin, yet its height was bigger than a half-dollar. This coin had a weird symbol on it with two snakes; he only remembers it from some passer-by a couple of centuries ago. The guy just tossed it to him and he kept it in his room, but obviously, he didn’t bring it, so this construct will have to do. He made the coin slide between his fingers and flick the coin from each hand, making it disappear to then reappear a second later. A faint smile came on to Seb’s face.  _ Why does this have to be so difficult? It shouldn’t be. _

* * *

Auntie Dot said aloud to everyone,  _ “ONI Sword Base is currently under siege from a Corvette class Covenant vessel. Due to the importance of this facility, the use of orbital rounds is prohibited. Regrettably, my efforts to obtain relevant data on enemy locations have been unsuccessful. ONI has requested Noble Teams’ direct intervention to assist in the securing of Sword Base.” _ Quite a mouthful, this AI, Seb thought.

“Eyes up, Noble, coming up on Sword Base. Two, Six, and Seven; you’re out here, supporting the distressed troopers. Jorge, Emile you’re next, get prepped,” Carter said in Sebastian’s ear. _Finally_, _I was getting restless._ Sebastian’s leg was constantly fidgeting, going up and down. The other Spartans noticed but chose not to comment. Smart.

“Dove, weapons, please,” Sebastian said aloud and the Hatchet came back out before he put it on his back, thanks to the strap that he tightened to his chest. Next came Found Verdict, and he set that below the Hatchet on his back. “Dove, could you please get Ironwreath? Something tells me I might need it.”

“Certainly, Guardian, and I know your feelings are usually right, but please, for the love of the Traveler, be careful,” Dove said aloud, making the other Spartans chuckle softly at Dove’s concern for him.

“Oh little Light, when am I not?” Sebastian asked smugly.

“Well, there is this one tim-”

“Alright, alright, I get it; I’ll be safe, for you. So, where are we touching down? I’m itching for a fight over here,” Sebastian said pulling the chamber on Ironwreath, loading a round and put it on his thigh holster.

Emile chimed in, “You could pick a fight with me,” his dark chuckle accompanying the statement.

“I’d prefer to live, Four,” Seb said sardonically, “but then again, dying is part of the job description…” he mused to himself. Seb risked a glance at the opposite Falcon and saw that Six was staring directly at him, and while he would just brush it off, her body language suggests that she is livid. Wouldn’t blame her either. Didn’t know she would take those words to heart, but he is going to honor his word, as best as he can anyway. Maybe this something isn’t for here, but later. These feelings, a Hunter’s gut feeling, is never specific on what it will entail. The replication chamber is one of those days. That day is most certainly the worst day of his life. His left hand started twitching as the aftershocks came back, but only slightly.

_ “Get ready you three, LZ is warm and just waiting for you. Don’t have too much fun,”  _ Jorge said with a hint of amusement.

“You mean there is such a thing? Shame, this seems like an adventure to me,” Seb replied in jest which got the big lug to chuckle. The Falcons finally descended and the fighting began.

The two Spartans and the Guardian exited their respective Falcons to back up the Marines that were struggling against the Covenant. It didn’t take a genius to figure out when that when the Spartans show up, shit gets serious real quick. Faye pulled her DMR from her back and immediately the sound of her rifle cracked through the air. Kat had her Magnum and she was popping targets along with Faye.

Meanwhile, Sebastian was sneaking around behind them to trap them. One of the grunts noticed him sneaking behind them and squealed. Sebastian cursed and fired a round of Ironwreath into its face. It screeched and more Covenant turned. They all screamed and all moved on him. This was troubling, were they really going to try this? Seriously? Here, of all places? Sebastian asked Dove if he was clear to use his Light since his Light Exhaustion has a fluctuating downtime.

“You can, just don’t overdo it this time, alright?” Dove said cautiously. Sometimes, Sebastian is a bit of a loose cannon. It should come as no surprise to her, but she is fascinated on how he acts sometimes, she learns something new every couple of months, like how he stares off into a sunset when he sees one, just because he appreciates the color.

The sound of Sebastian’s Arc Light crackling into existence brought Dove out of her little daydream. She needs to focus on the here and now. All the Covenant present started to shout in their native tongue; where Dove got a very rough translation of  _ ‘Contain the Demon. Bring to Prophets’ _ . There were more words in between, but Dove didn’t catch them. Bullets, these purple needles came at Sebastian, but he skillfully dodged them as he would a Vandal’s rifle. The electric knife cut clean through the first wave, but a Jackal sniper hiding up top of the base’s angled roof put a needle in his left shoulder, making him drop his knife, and ending the Super.

In turn, Sebastian reached for his sidearm and put three rounds through the Jackal’s visor. It fell with little to no grace and made gross squishing sounds; something that made Sebastian shiver in disgust. A roar brought his attention back as he holstered the sidearm and reached for his sword on his belt; it activated instantly in his hand as it clashed with another sword. Sebastian knew this beast would overpower him shortly so he parried the hold and rolled backward, to put some distance between them. He let the sword fall to the ground to pull the needle out of shoulder with a muffled cry of pain. The Elite snarled at him and then cursed at him, judging by the murderous look it had. Sebastian’s helmet kept his face blank, but his chest was slightly heaving, it seems his Exhaustion didn’t fully go away,  _ great _ .

This sword that this Elite had was different from the clear blue he had; it was like a bright orange crimson color. Its armor also different, not like the ones in the relay, this seemed to be  _ above _ that, if it was even possible. The orange colors, along with a dark blue accent suggest this is a Commander of some sort. Without warning, it charged, sword drawn. Sebastian picked up his sword and got ready.

After narrowly dodging its first strike, Sebastian readied his sword for the next attack, yet the Elite stood there,  _ not _ attacking.  _ Is this some trick? _ What made it weirder, is that it spoke in a language he understands,  **“So this is the Demon that my brothers were worried about? ** ** _Pathetic_ ** **,” ** it sneered.

_ “Don’t rise to the bait, Sebastian, it wants you to attack, to throw you off. It knows you’re not a Spartan, it knows that words hurt, so do not give in,”  _ Dove advised. If he fell for it, something could go very wrong. Yet, Sebastian’s feeling… it wasn’t intensifying, it was still the same. The Elite charged again, but Sebastian knew it had a trick up its sleeve, the question is what is it?

Faye watched him sneak around the backside as the Marines called for assistance. “Welcome to the party, Spartan! Could you lend us a hand?” the Sergent asked, judging by the patch on his shoulder.

Kat answered for Faye, “There is actually three of us, so be prepared to cover fire.”

The two Spartans advanced, taking cover, peeking out, taking shots, and returning to cover. Faye prepped a grenade from her belt and was about to pull the pin when she heard the word ‘Demon’. Yet, the Covenant weren’t after the Spartans, no. They were after Seb. Faye didn’t want him to get captured, she’s witnessed the torture before while on assignment years back. That will break him, he’s not a Spartan, but he’s not an ODST either. Kat seemed to pick up on Faye’s urgency but told the Marines to stay put. Faye knew the Covenant was after Sebastian, but she didn’t think they would try almost instantly. Idiot.

A few stray shots whizzed by Faye’s head and she was forced to cover. Sure, she has shields but they can only take so much damage before they break. Faye heard shots from what sounded like a peashooter and then the sound of a body falling. Faye took a glance over to see a Jackal sniper’s body. Then the sound of a pained gasp from the other side of the base; Sebastian. Faye let the mag locks keep the DMR in place as she unsheathed her knives and went to work, the blood splatters coating her armor and that bloodlust coming back with a vengeance. The Covenant in the courtyard were squished in between three deadly assets, they just didn’t know it yet.

Faye saw the Elite charge Sebastian and her heart hammered in her chest, rising above ninety beats, a new record. She holstered her knives and grabbed her pistol, it was quicker than the DMR and aimed for the Elite’s hand.

Sebastian saw Faye and immediately paid for his distraction. The Elite’s hand wrapped around Seb’s throat and raised him up, making him drop his sword as he clutched the Sangheili’s armored wrist. Seb willed his Solar Light to make an appearance, burning the Elite’s shields and its armor. The Elite snarled and threw Sebastian off to the side. His back made contact with a concrete barricade and he swears something cracked, and it wasn’t the barricade.  **“What sorcery is this?!”** it exclaimed as it clutched its wrist and made slow menacing steps towards his form.

In a last-ditch effort, he took a throwing knife and charged it with Solar. It struck true into the Elite’s shoulder and that was when more familiar gunshots came into Seb’s range of hearing.  **“This isn’t the last that you will see of me, Demon.”** The Elite pulled out the knife and turned on its camo and left. Now that the fight has temporarily stopped, Seb slacked his body to account for the injuries. His Exhaustion really needs to take a vacation, for he may have just made it worse, but much to his pleasure, the tired feeling did not intensify.

Dove appeared and scanned over Sebastian to find that three ribs are broken, his throat is bruised, and the worst of his injuries is his arm. “Sebastian… your arm,” Sebastian looked over to see his armor torn and his arm bleeding, but it was halfway between his shoulder and elbow. With a desperate mental plea, Dove healed his throat and ribs just as Faye, Kat, and the Marines showed up.

“You’re crazy, you know that?” Kat asked as he stood up, clutching his arm. He willed his fingers on his left arm to move, they did, but it hurt more than he let on. He needed time to heal it properly. This isn’t something that can be healed as other things can. Yes, it can use the Light, but it requires a… different approach.

“I know, so am I getting reprimanded?” Seb asked with a hint of caution.

“No,” the answer came from Faye. “You are going to tell me what’s wrong with your arm,” even with the helmet on, he could tell her eyes were eying the blood that soaked the white of his armor.

“Respectfully Six, worry about yourself, that goes for you as well, Two. I will worry about myself. I need time to take care of this… alone,” Seb’s voice turning from joking to cold in a matter of seconds. His arm is a touchy subject. Not his finest moment either.

“What is he?” asked one of the surviving Marines.

“All sorts of classified, soldier,” Seb replied before walking and picking up his Energy sword and putting it back on his belt. “Dove, what’s the damage to it?”

_ “Not as bad as it could be, but you would need about ten minutes to fix it.” _

Seb replied in his mind,  _ “That doesn’t seem-” _ he was cut off as Dove mentioned one  _ tiny _ detail about it. Seb cursed aloud before going away to take care of it.

Faye didn’t understand why he was acting so cold. Well, she does, but it doesn’t explain why he won’t let them help. Also, it doesn’t explain the fact that Dove isn’t healing her, and in that moment, realization struck Faye and she looked at Kat who seemed to have the same realization. “You think…?”

“Oh, he so does, but I believe his pride is what is keeping him back,” Kat said.

“I don’t think it is his pride, Two,” Faye mused. “I believe it is his past.” Faye glanced at Kat to see her nod.

“Ma’am?” the Sergent asked. “What is he? He certainly isn’t a Spartan.”

“You’d be correct on that, but as for what he actually is… Classified. Now drop it,” Kat scolded the Marine, her Slavic accent thickening as she enunciated the words. Faye smiled internally,  _ always knew she was a hardass. _

“Yes, Ma’am,” was the soldier’s reply.

* * *

“You know they have their suspicions, right?” Dove asked as she tended to his arm with his help. Somethings are just more difficult than others. Sebastian took great care of finding the problem and had Dove do a final sweep over his arm.

“I know, I won’t be surprised if they call me out on it. I just… can’t relive it, but I do every time I look at my arm. I thought after all these years it would be easier, but it never has and I hate it. I can’t tell because I don’t know if I can trust. This whole situation is just all overwhelming,” Seb admitted as his arm felt functional again. He flexed his fingers and felt it.

Memories.

He forced those back, now was not the place to have a psychotic break. Maybe when he was alone and had the time to himself. Now, he needed to get his ass back out there and help them beat back the Covenant.

He also remembers the promise in the Elite’s words. Seb knew, without a doubt, that they would try again, and they might succeed one day, and Seb knows that line of thinking will only make it worse, but he likes to consider all the possibilities.

Making outside again, with his arm moving properly again, he saw the two Spartans waiting at the blast door that leads outside the base. “While you were busy, we got new orders to power up generators to allow the base’s defenses to come online.”

Nothing new then, but that didn’t help that he could feel the glares of both of them. Not on his eyes; his arm. “Do you like having eyes?” Sebastian asked casually, already making his mind plan three moves ahead. “That is not up for discussion nor am I willing to talk to either of you about it. Let’s go, can’t keep the Covies waiting now can we?” the Guardian walked by the females as he said this, his cloak slightly fluttering as the wind picked up.

Before they made it outside, weapons were supplied, and Sebastian asked Dove to take what’s leftover from them and convert it into ammo for him. Faye wanted to snap at him for his behavior, but deep down, she knew he was right. It was not her place to ask about it, yet the burning curiosity made her want more.  _ What the fu-? _

Faye picked up the Target Locator as the door opened and an explosion rang out. The sounds of death and screams pierced the air. Faye looked for the source and found two Covenant Wraiths throwing volley after volley of plasma energy. Those rounds have snuffed out too many Spartans in a surprise attack. She aimed the locater at the Wraiths, who stupidly bunched up, and the target was locked. Seconds later, explosive ordnance pummeled the Wraiths, make them explode in a violet flame.

Sebastian watched as the flames licked the chassis of these ‘Wraiths’, it was quite a display. He knows other Titans would have loved to see this explosion. Seb let out a low chuckle before whispering to Dove. Soon enough, a rocket launcher appeared on his shoulders. It was black, accents of silvers and wolf decorum all around it. The Iron Gjallarhorn. Sebastian loaded his rockets into the chamber and scouted for his target.

Faye watched as a launcher appeared on his shoulder and it matched his armor. It was definitely not a SPNKR model that she is familiar with. Then again, she is not familiar with any of his weapons. A Warthog was delivered by Pelican and along with it came another squad of Marines. Herself and Kat hopped in but Seb, however, did not. “Seven? Are you going to get in?”

The two female Spartans watched as he shook his head, a small little vehicle appeared in front of him, matching the launcher Faye had seen earlier, “No, I don’t think I will.” Then, he sped off with that launcher on his back.

Faye sighed, “We better catch him before he does something stupid. Wouldn’t you agree?” she directed the question at Kat.

“Personally, I want to see what he is actually capable of so I can take notes, but I would rather him alive at the end of it, wouldn’t you, sister?” Kat teased.

“Uh-uhm, I-” Faye was cut off as Kat guffawed at the younger Spartan’s action. It was no wonder they were ‘avoiding’ each other. The Warthog roared off, and Kat had to cut her laugh short. The latter of which was laughing to herself in victory, but the clean double entendre did not go unnoticed by Faye. She very much would want him alive, and she silently cursed herself for admitting it. She doesn’t know what he is doing to her and she doesn’t know if she wants it to end.

Sebastian was riding his Iron Gjallarwing Sparrow, the vehicles of his universe, and he said that line because of something called a ‘meme’. Dove playfully scolded him about it, but she had to admit, it was great getting the reactions out of the Spartans. Even in this war-ravaged world, a cracked joke is something that everyone needs; that includes the supposed ‘emotionless’ soldiers.

“Sebastian?” Dove asked hesitantly as he rode his Sparrow just before the first power station. His feet on the ground and his rocket launcher on his shoulder, waiting for the go-ahead. Sebastian knows that he can just shoot the rocket and be all fine and dandy, but he does have a  _ semblance _ of respect for authority, just look at Zavala. “Do you miss our Universe?”

“Every second, Dove. I feel like I’m missing a piece of my soul without the Traveler’s embrace. Speaking of the Traveler, how do you still have the ability to channel Light to me? I thought we wouldn’t have it at all. I know I should have asked you this before but I never thought about it,” Sebastian inquired, he did have this on his mind, but so many things happened, he didn’t have time to bring it up. “Also, do you have an idea when my Exhaustion will be over? Cause after that I felt really drained like after a match of Mayhem.”

“I’ve been wondering that myself, and I believe that the Light is all around us and I draw it in, that or the Traveler is also in this universe,” Dove said jokingly.

The roar of another vehicle pulled up beside the pair and stopped, “Was wondering when you were going to join me, Two and Six,” Sebastian said as he aimed the Gjallarhorn, “Permission to light up the Covenant base about two hundred meters away?”

“Granted,” Kat said instantly. With that, Sebastian pulled the trigger and the two Spartans heard and felt the  _ whoosh _ of the rocket leaving the chamber. They saw it fly and  _ track _ the poor Elite that saw the rocket too late. The rocket exploded and the perk of Gjallarhorn activated. The grunts that didn’t move got the Wolfpack Rounds and killed them too. Most of the forces were cleared out after the first rocket. The second rocket took care of the rest of the enemies.

“Proud?” Sebastian asked smugly, a smug smile on his face as he loaded another volley into the chamber before he slammed it shut. “This is a fan favorite by most Guardians, everyone wants one, and then this weird guy Xûr sold it and then I built one of them years later. Oh, and it does that cool explosion thing you just saw, so please, keep your jaws attached to your mouths.”

Faye did not dignify that remark with a response. The only response she gave was driving off to turn on the anti-air defenses while Sebastian scouted ahead. He found the power station and radioed in. The rest of Noble Team was already inside the base dealing with Covenant and waiting for the power to come back on.

The same procedure was done for the power, sit back and take out any reinforcements that showed up. Then, Noble One gave orders to return to the compound to deal with the internal threat. Sebastian made his Sparrow go full throttle and beat them to the point. The Marines present did not have a single clue what just happened. All they do know is that the Covenant were dead and they were not.

The ride back was silent, just how Sebastian prefers them, sometimes. Others, it’s nice to have a Fireteam, and he believes that Noble is that replacement, but… only one of them can fill that void in his heart and he told her to back off when he clearly wants the opposite. During his ride, these thoughts swarmed him, attacking his mind like the Hive Thrall attack. Clawing at his mind, begging for them to stop. Dove felt the emotions of her Guardian and sent a small pulse of Light through his mind, halting all of his thoughts and his shoulders released their tension. “Thank you.”

“No problem Guardian, just don’t work yourself up… Are you ever going to explain it to them?” Dove questioned cautiously. She wanted to know where he stood on telling them his past because two of them could have already pieced it together but they don’t intrude; unlike him wanting to know every little detail of this world. She couldn’t blame him either, knowledge is important to Sebastian, whether he admits it or not.

“One day, hopefully soon. It’s bad enough that it got injured, and there is nothing else like it either. So, if I…” he stopped talking as the Warthog pulled up beside him.

“I’m surprised you haven’t gone guns blazing,” Faye commented idly, her fingers tapping the steering wheel.

Seb scoffed, “I’m not a Titan. Now  _ they _ go guns blazing, and by guns, I mean their fists. They absolutely adore punching things. It is like their love child that they have on the battlefield. Quite entertaining, honestly.”

Kat elected to speak, “So why aren’t these enemies dead yet?”

Seb snorted, “Did I have to ask permission to do so? Otherwise, they would have been dead before you got here.”

“Well, go ahead,” and that was when Sebastian showed them what it means when you mess with a Guardian.

* * *

Sebastian stepped off his flaming Sparrow and dusted off the soot and ash from the vehicles he destroyed. Gjallarhorn’s barrel was smoking, and there was a grin on the Hunter’s face.  _ It felt too damn good to do that. Then again, they want to kidnap and torture me, so no skin off my back. _

“You didn’t tell us you had a knack for explosions,” Faye came up on his left and brushed off the soot on his shoulder pad. “Should have said you were an explosive nut.”

“Nah. It’s simple; a rocket launcher plus a pyromaniac equals a recipe for an explosive time. That, and I just love firing that damn launcher. Makes everything have a  _ flare _ to it. Now, don’t we have to get inside?” 

“ _ Talking with her is easy and it sucks so bad that I have to suffer,”  _ he screamed into his mind, knowing Dove heard him.

A mental chuckle escaped Dove,  _ “It is not my fault you have fallen for her.”  _ Sebastian was about to deny it when,  _ “Don’t deny it, you are falling for her, and she is falling for you, slowly. It will take her more time since he literally has no experience in this field.” _

_ “That really helps, but I’m supposed to not get attached to this world. I shouldn’t even be here, let alone fighting,”  _ Seb kicked a rock as Faye opened the door. There were more Covenant in the courtyard, so with a lot of well-placed shots, the Covenant didn’t last long.

Once they headed inside they were greeted with Hunters, no not Sebastian. Hunters as in the big ugly monsters that have a big gun on their wrists. “So, is this one of those contradicting terms you had?” Sebastian asked aloud.

“Yep, now don’t get caught in their line of sight,” Faye ordered as she grabbed a shotgun off the wall and loaded it. Sebastian gripped Found Verdict and went to the opposite side of the room. There were Grunts and an Elite in there, but Kat took it upon herself and killed them all, leaving the Hunters alive. Kat distracted one of the Hunters and that allowed Faye to go up behind it and unload four rounds of buckshot into the Hunter’s back, its weak point. It roared and fell with a death rattle. The second one roared in anger as it watched its brother fall.

“Does it normally do that?” Seb shouted, more to himself, but it did drag the Hunter’s attention to him. Seb hid behind a pillar as the weapon charged. Kat again, fired into the Hunter to distract it and Faye put more buckshot into its back; his question remained unanswered.

The Hunter turned and swung and before Faye could move, the arm collided with her sending her flying into the wall. Sebastian heard the impact and got angry. He charged around the pillar and took out a knife. In a split second, he used Blink Strike, a talent of the Bladedancer Subclass. The knife buried in the Hunter’s back and Seb tore and stabbed, fast as lightning. The Hunter didn’t even feel the pain, it just dropped lifelessly to the ground. 

Seb’s knife was buried deep into the guts of it, down past the hilt, but his grip never let go. He pulled it out and it was covered in the orange blood that they apparently have, his hand too. Once Seb got off his adrenaline high, his heart beat faster for a specific reason.  _ Faye. _

He ran over to the indent in the wall and saw nothing. No one. Where the- “It takes more than that to put me down.” Seb turned and saw Faye dusting off her armor from the metal/concrete wall. Meanwhile, Kat was watching in amusement. She already knew that these two would get along well together.

“Come on, Six, Seven; One needs us pronto, there is an elevator here, get on it and let’s move,” Kat ordered. Sebastian looked to Faye silently asking if she’s good. She nodded and walked by him to the elevator.

As he followed along, Seb let a major sigh of relief, she was okay, better than okay really. Then he tensed,  _ why the hell does he care so much? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, did ya miss me? I missed you all too. Took a little bit more time with this chapter, updated another project on another site, and then wrote a draft for a potential next project.
> 
> Not my fault, idea sprang into my head and I just had to write the draft. It cleared my head somewhat, but it still itches, the writing.
> 
> Don't worry, this is not going on hold. That'll only happen when I have some personal stuff to deal with and can't take the time to write. College has me occupied too, so remember I have my schedule to adhere too as well. Thank you for your time!
> 
> -Horus


	8. Debrief

Faye felt the impact of the Hunter’s swing, she felt herself flying backward, and she felt the impact of the wall. The only thing she heard after that was the Hunter’s death roar. She felt dizzy but let the biofoam in her armor take care of any other internal injuries if she has any. She had already dug herself out of the wall, dusting herself off. Faye noticed Seb’s hand that was covered in the blood the Hunter, his knife in hand. “It takes more than that to put me down,” she spoke to him, dusting the rest of the debris off her armor. It’s a pain in the ass getting it out from under the armor.

Kat then ordered them to get to the elevator and whether she wanted it or not she heard his sigh of relief and that made a small heat overcome the Spartan’s cheeks.  _ It is kind of sweet that he cares but- I can’t spend my time thinking about it. We have a job to do. _ The elevator went down and brought them to one of the meeting floors. The PA overheard could be heard saying, “If you need assistance, please flag someone down and an ONI officer will be right with you.”

Kat scoffed, “Doubt it. Come on, let’s move up,” she said as the door opened. Faye followed and Sebastian after her. Sebastian was taking in the small office. Now, this is something that the Last City doesn’t have, these kinds of offices. It would be nice to have them, but- “Seven, come on, no time to waste!”

“Coming!” Seb half-shouted, half-said. In front of the two Females and one Male, a blast door opened and there was Noble One, Three, and Five. Where’s Four?

“Good you made it!” Jun said, flicking his eyes away from his scope to see the three other members of Noble arriving. He also noticed the patch of blood on Sebastian’s left arm. Jun chose not to comment on that, and instead focused on putting a sniper round through an Elite’s skull.

“Six, Seven, get to the roof and assist Emile; Jorge, make sure they get there,” Carter said over the comms.

“Got it, sir! Let’s move you two!” Jorge hefted his chaingun and took a right to a side room. Inside were Grunts, who immediately started shooting and Sebastian already raised his Hakkon’s and let them meet bullets.

“Fast one, aren’t you?” Jorge asked, but the statement was full of amusement. Sebastian only shrugged as he ran into the next room, crossing the first bridge, dodging and reloading at the same time before letting more Grunts eat even more bullets. An Elite, whose armor covered most of its face started shouted and ignited its own sword.

“Do they really want me that badly? I know my ass is fine, but damn, you Covenant are going to inflate my ego if you continue the trend,” Sebastian said as the Elite got a sniper round to the head, making it drop its sword as its feet.

The Marines chuckled at Sebastian’s joke, but the Spartans know this is most likely a defense mechanism to hide that he would rather not get taken by the Covenant. They continued to advance through the base and fight more of the Covenant and to back up Four. Faye took point as she cleared out other rooms with practiced ease. Upon making it to the top floor, it was silent. Even though there was fighting all around them, it was too silent.

Faye held up a fist, which everyone complied with. Sebastian was the first to ask, well more say, “Something isn’t right, isn’t there?” She only turned to glare at him.

“I’ll follow your lead, Six,” he said with blank emotion and that… that hurt just a little. She would much rather have the exuberant Sebastian than this one.

“We have stealth Elites, armor classification Spec-Ops. Be wary and watch the shadows,” Faye ordered.

Sebastian was listening, waiting for the movement and he whispered aloud, “Dove, thermal scan, one-hundred-meters. Look for cloaking technology.”

A single pulse consumed the room as the results came back. The Elites in hiding did not know that they were spotted, but they soon will be. It comes as no surprise that when the sounds of gunfire and the sounds of Sangheili dying that they were doomed. The sounds of their deaths echoed off the walls, which are now stained in their blood.

One of the Marines that tagged along spoke, almost in a trance-like state, “What else can it do?”

“ _ She _ ,” Seb corrected, “She is not an ‘it’ and you do well to remember that. She’s the reason I stand here now.” Dove felt elation rise within her as her Guardian defended her. She always knew he cared. Now, if only Dove can get him to care for someone else, specifically the one in gunmetal grey.

Outside on the platform, Faye sees Emile with a Rocket Launcher taking down Banshees and Phantoms.  _ “Glad to see you made it to the party! Now, grab some rockets and destroy some Banshees,”  _ Emile ordered in a deadly calm voice.

Sebastian pulled out Gjallarhorn and reloaded before locking on, “This is going to be fun, come on then!”  _ Whoosh, _ the sound of it being fired made for a nice rally cry as Faye reached over to grab a SPNKR of her own before opening fire. There were many Banshees and a few scattered Phantoms, but with a lot of rockets coming from two Spartans and a Guardian; they stood no chance. Even the Marines were taking potshots.

Emile jumped down from his perch and came up next to Faye and Sebastian, “That’s how it’s done. Nice shooting Six, you too Seven,” he said calmly.

Sebastian decided to be sarcastic Guardian, “A compliment from Noble Four, I should be so honored,” he said before chuckling to himself as Emile sent a malicious glare. Sebastian shrugged and said, “Same to you, Four.”

The Corvette was attempting to flee, the Shipmasters needed to pull back, but they were too late. In an instant, the ship was speared with a MAC round from space. The Corvette descended into the lake below as Jorge came from behind all three of them, “Beautiful ain’t it? Someone should take a picture.”

“Done,” Dove said as she flew around Sebastian before landing on top of his cloak. He reached up and patted the top of her shell.

“Nice work by the way Six,” Faye took that with a little more pride than she should have,

“I aim to please,” she replied, keeping her tone neutral. Meanwhile, Emile already started walking away, back inside Sword Base.

_ “Five, Six, get down to the Science Wing, Doctor Halsey wants a debrief and Command is saying we’re all hers. Make sure to get Seven in here too. Halsey has heard rumors and she wants to confirm them.” _ Carter said. Faye snapped her gaze to Jorge.

“Repeat? Sounded like you said ‘Halsey’?” Jorge questioned. Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey is the one who made Jorge into what he is now, a Spartan-II, one of the few who remain. The only mother figure to the Spartan-IIs. Faye had her DMR in a relaxed pose as she stared at the giant Spartan. Compared to her, he was massive, reaching heights rivaling Elites.

_ “I did,”  _ Carter replied.

“Copy that, on our way,” he turned to look at Six. “Don’t need Command to tell me, been all hers half my life.”

In the background, the Corvette sunk to the bottom of the Lake where it will remain for eternity. Sebastian hung back as he watched the sunset, it was beautiful. Unfortunately, the smoking pile of Covenant wreckage and smoke from the base ruined the view. Without warning, Faye came back and dragged Sebastian by the collar of his cloak, “Come on, that means you too.”

Dove only watched in amusement as he complained about watching the cloak as she sent a mental reminder of who he is falling for.

* * *

The room that Noble Five, Six, and Seven entered was cut in half by another room. The door was see-through glass with an elderly woman on the other side.  _ This must be Doctor Halsey _ . The rest of Noble Team was already there.

Sebastian went and stood at the furthest wall, hopefully, staying out of the conversation that will ultimately bore him. Dove, on the other hand, wants to see the conversation. “At the first sign of danger, you come back to me,” he whispered to her.

“I’ll be careful,” she whispered back before floating around the room, attracting the attention of the good Doctor.

“What is that?” The Doctor asked, her face seemed to be in wonder. Sebastian remained silent but tensed as her voice rang out again, “Who are you?” He looked up to see the Doctor’s eyes trained on him, much like Zavala’s would be after ‘failing’ to stay stealthy in Cabal territory. That was only one time...

“Don’t you have a debrief to worry about first?” Sebastian said coldly, not liking the tone of her voice when she asked the second question. It was full of accusations and misplaced malice. So far, Sebastian has done nothing to anger the Doctor. The rest of Noble Team gave Sebastian a look and he settled down, his helmet only moving to keep track of Dove as she floated about the room. He knew she was taking in the new environment. 

She sighed drawing her eyes away from Sebastian, “I requested your assistance, Commander and do not need a report on events that occur on my own doorstep. What I do require is a detailed account of your previous engagement,” Halsey stopped her words as she looked over the shoulder of Carter to see Jorge. “Jorge, it’s been too long.”

Jorge pulled off his helmet, “Ma’am,” he said, but to Sebastian, it sounded like ‘Mom’. Sebastian figures it was because of the accent. Then again, if he called her ‘Mom’ then he wouldn’t judge.

Halsey asks, in an almost bored, exasperated tone, “What have you done with my armor?”

“Just some… additions I’ve made,” He said finally looking at the Doctor.

“Indeed,” she replied. “Visegrád Relay, its data center was home to one of my xenoarcheologists, Professor Lazlo Sorvad, perhaps you could shed some light on his death.”

Carter deadpanned her, “If he was a civilian male in his mid-sixties, he died with a Covenant Energy Sword through his abdomen.”

Immediately Halsey asked, “Elites then?”

“They engaged us as well. It was just uhm… just after we found your scientist’s daughter ma’am. She was hiding in the-” Jun and Emile turned to gaze at each other before shaking their heads at Jorge’s soft side.

Halsey interrupted Jorge, “Irrelevant, the Elites; tell me more about them.” Sebastian is just staring at this woman in utter disgust. Does she not care that a girl has lost the only family she has? Sebastian’s Light sparked but he quelled his anger. Dove, being the observant Ghost she is, notices and rests on Sebastian’s shoulder.

Jorge picked up immediately while Sebastian brewed, “Three. Zealot class. None of them actually survived, thanks to him back there,” referencing to Sebastian. Most would think not being called his name or designation would anger him. No, it doesn’t actually. He’s thankful out of all things.

“Zealots? You’re certain?” Halsey breathed out.

“Armor configuration matched,” Jorge stated.

Faye followed up with, “Shield strength too.” Sebastian took a dive into the files to find the differences between these armor configurations. The differences are minor, as a whole, but some of them have major differences. Some are barebones, while others offer full protection. _Seriously,_ _these are the things that want me?_

“Our objective was to get the relay back online,” Carter filled in.

“Your primary objective, Commander? Are you a puppet or a Spartan?” Halsey said harshly, making every Spartan flinch, except Jorge, Carter, and Faye. Sebastian was in his own world at this point. Dove was also busy educating him on the Covenant so she didn’t speak up.

“Ma’am?” Carter asked with a hint of frustration.

“There are those at ONI, myself included, who believe that the Covenant dispatch elite advanced teams to hunt down artifacts of value to their religion. Survivor accounts suggest that such teams are small and nimble, and almost always Zealot class. No doubt they came to the station for the  _ abundance _ of ONI excavation data stored there. Thankfully, you stopped them and that data is safe,” Halsey said with a sly look at Kat. “Professor Sorvad’s final notes made reference to a ‘latchkey discovery’. Latchkey. Not a word he would use lightly. So, let’s hope the data module that Noble Two currently has in her possession… contains it.”

“Data retrieval was not in our instruction and even if it was, it would be down on the totem pole of priorities.” Carter looked at Kat, giving her a look, “Kat.” Faye immediately questioned in her mind,  _ ‘How did she know that Kat has it?’ _

“Before you ask, I was alerted when she attempted to access the data as I am with any unauthorized tap,” Halsey clarified as Kat dropped the module into a container that Halsey pulled back to her. “That data is classified Tier 1. I could send you to the brig for interfering with my work.”

Carter stepped forward, “Maybe you’d like to join her. We’re under protocol Winter Contingency. I’m sure you’re familiar with the punishment for civilian interference in Spartan deployment.”

“Fair enough, now, tell me about the apparent seventh person you have in here,” Halsey switched topics.

“Real quick question,” Sebastian said as he stepped forward right behind Carter and Kat, but in front of Jorge and Faye, “Is there a Tier of classification above Tier 1?”

“No, there is not. Why would you ask me such an idiotic question?” Halsey scoffed.

“To say that I’m more black ink than ONI’s darkest, most classified file, Doctor. One hint, I’m not from  _ here _ ,” he reached up to his hood and pulled down his hood. Then he twisted the helmet seals off and pulled off his helmet. His eyes met Doctor Halsey’s. “Real talk, from one person to another, no military bullshit. Why the hell do you act so cold to these Spartans? Jorge is the only exception since he is the only Spartan-II here. Meanwhile, you think the IIIs are lesser than them. Why? Do you not like the fact that there are more Spartans? Or because they are not  _ your _ Spartans?”

Sebastian continued, “Don’t bother with the distaste or the surprise, good Doctor. I am merely observing, isn’t that right Dove?” Sebastian asked as Dove flew in front of the glass and looking at Doctor Halsey.

“You are right, then again, not much to learn. Security is pretty lax here, I could just tap into this here, then disable the entire system and make an impenetrable firewall that would take you centuries to take down, but you will all be dead by then,” Dove said nonchalantly. Noble Team said nothing, and Faye knew he was kidding, there was a certain way he said the words that meant he was joking. Hopefully, Halsey can detect the snide joking mannerisms.

Sebastian chuckled, “See? But honestly, I’m stuck in your universe, no contact to mine, and when I first got here, it wasn’t as warm of a welcome I would have liked. Yet, I know you have questions, Doctor. I’ll be in my quarters unless the Commander gets orders. Heh, that rhymed. Anyways, until then Madame, farewell and I  _ apologize _ for my forwardness. I’m not like Spartans,” he finished before putting his helmet back on and throwing up his hood.

Dove lingered behind to teleport in to see the Doctor and muted the connection, so Noble Team couldn’t hear them. “And what are you? An AI?”

Dove chuckled before spinning her shell, “Something like that...Don’t worry about him, he says things like that to agitate people, it worked too. I would know, since I’m the one who saved him once upon a time. Coming up on… three hundred years as of tomorrow.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened, “He’s been alive for three hundred years, but he looks like he’s in his mid-twenties! How is that possible?”

“Add that to the list of questions you have for when you come to see us. I doubt he’ll tell you, but it’s a good question to have, and don’t lie to me Doctor, I can read your vitals. You do want to come to see us, now I must go before my Guardian wonders where in the Traveler’s name I have been. Until then, Madame Halsey,” then Dove disappeared and allowed audio to come through again. She turned to see Jorge lingering behind.

“Ma’am?” he hesitantly asks.

“That will be all, Jorge,” Halsey said as she mulled over the data module in her hand and what the little AI said.

* * *

“What was that?” Faye asked Sebastian as they were walking together towards the bases’ still intact quarters.

“What? I said what she was thinking, plus she had it written down that  _ that _ is what she feels like about you Spartan-IIIs. Me? I have no opinion. You are all badass in your own way,” Seb said looking over his shoulder as Dove came back. “And where were you, little Light?”

Faye notices he doesn’t say that term as an insult to Dove, but as a term of endearment. Dove rested on the opposite shoulder, away from Faye. “I was there, here, everywhere. The usual.”

“Chatting with a certain Doctor?” Sebastian said slyly.

“Definitely not, now come on you two, it seems you need to talk,” she said then disappeared.

“I don’t care what Doctor Halsey says about us, but you were out of line,” Faye scolded. She didn’t take off her helmet in order to not distract herself. It was…  _ better _ this way. Her developing and conflicted  _ feelings _ make everything jumbled up in her brain.

“Maybe, but she completely disregarded the girl from the relay, like what? Her father is dead and guess what, he ain’t coming back. She acted like she didn’t care for human life, so why the hell should I give a damn about being out of line?” Sebastian said staring forward at the sunset that still hasn’t gone down. His heart clenched at the thought of not seeing a sunset in  _ his _ world. Nothing feels right, except being by Faye’s side. She is somehow the anchor right now, whether she knows it or not.

“Because you’re here in our world and for a good reason you should be at least  _ respectful _ to everyone,” Faye scolded.

“She didn’t give you respect, so I’m not going to either. Simple as that, but why are you following me, aren’t you needed somewhere? Normally, you’d be at the range or something,” Sebastian shrugged. He really didn’t care if she was here or not, right now, being alone is something he needs. At least he’ll stay in the base, Sebastian doesn’t want to admit it, but having the Covenant after him is unnerving.

“Fine, I’ll let you know if anything else happens,” Faye said and turned on her heel and left Sebastian alone. Sebastian turned and looked at her longingly. He groaned before putting a hand over his helmet and running it down like on would do when they are exasperated.

“I see she is warming up to you,” a voice said from behind him. He turned on a dime and had his weapon in his hand before immediately lowering it.

“Never do that again, Doctor,” Sebastian said through a tense breath. “Assuming you want to talk?”

“That would be desirable. Walk with me, please,” Halsey demanded.

“Jeez, even you being polite sounds demanding. Dove. keep an eye on our location,” Sebastian muttered to himself and followed the shorter woman. She led the way through the base, around the quarters and in places with surveillance. Smart woman, not like Sebastian was going to do anything. 

“Who are you, what can you do, and how did you get here?” Halsey immediately asked.

“Straight to the point, I see. Well, it would be easy to say you already got the hint that I’m not from this universe. So I assume you want to know about mine?” Sebastian inquired.

“That would be correct,” Halsey said in a neutral tone.

“Well, you aren’t getting those in-depth answers, I will only tell you what I told Noble Team, and you best accept that. Maybe you’ll get answers another time, but I don’t know this world like you do, obviously. So listen because I will only be saying it once.”

“Why-?”

“Why not, Doctor? Maybe it is because I don’t trust you, and coming from me, where trust is a commodity, should sting. I know about the programs, I know the extremes you took, and it worked out, but do the ends justify the means?” Halsey opened her mouth to speak; Sebastian put his hand up, “Save it, you have probably said the same thing a dozen times before. That I’m not faulting you for, you’re defending your work and they, in turn, defend you, correct?” Halsey nodded, “Now, my world is advanced in the technology department, Dove’s threat was real, she could easily override anything you put in her way.”

“He’s not wrong,” the latter said as she appeared and floated in front of her, “I very well could. Guardian, am I allowed to share the file from the previous firebase? It would save you and the good Doctor here time and energy.”

Sebastian gritted his teeth, “ _ Fine,”  _ he turned towards Doctor Halsey, “It is not to be shared, archived, or saved anywhere, and if it is, then I will find out and the end result will not be pretty.”

Halsey remained unmoved by the threat, “You have my word.”

“Is your word enough? I’ve met people who say that and do the opposite,” Sebastian said before turning around and walking away, “consider this a trust exercise, yeah?”

Halsey watched as the ‘Guardian’ walked away, considering that is a Forerunner term, Meanwhile, Halsey got a message from Dove, the floating construct,  _ ‘He was serious about his threat, Doctor, for your sake and mine, don’t break his trust.’ _ the note said with a file attached to it.

Halsey went back to her pseudo-lab to watch and analyze it in peace. She didn’t expect what was said, the video feed was down, but the words said were powerful. Having seen his face, she can imagine what he looked like during some of those words. He was right, this was not something to be shared.

* * *

Faye went back to the Command Center to see Noble Team, “Sir,” she addressed Carter.

“Six, glad you’re here. Your skills are needed, we have a dark zone and we need to do recon. You and Jun are going to be the ones going in and scouting the area. Kat will be leading, you leave in 0200 hours, am I clear?” Carter said, giving the mission briefing and the map of the area. This may just clear her mind.

“Crystal, Sir, I will prepare my weapons then,” Faye figured a good recon mission would better her thought process since her thoughts are being occupied by  _ him _ out of all people.

“Seven is going with you both, need to give him a test. If he is as stealthy as he implies, then we might as well use him as an asset,” those words made Faye made her slow her steps but otherwise stepped out of the room.

After she left the room, the rest of Noble Team had decided to discuss the elephant in the room. “Commander, you know what has been happening, correct?” Jorge asked, leaning on the table with his hands spread apart.

“I do Jorge, this will actually be good for her. More of a stress test and Jun is going to be the one who monitors their interaction,” Carter said, pointing a finger at Jun, who was on the opposite side of the room. Jun only nodded proving that he was listening to the conversation.

“It is obvious Commander, Six and Seven are going to make Eight,” the sniper then chuckled, “Probably too soon for that, but you see my point? Those two have something, and they better figure it out before it gets them killed.”

“Honestly, the Faye I knew was always silent, so as much as it is a detriment to her, it has also opened her up. Now, I advise against sending them together Commander, but you make a valid point. Speaking of Seven, we should probably let him know that he will be needed,” Kat said before turning to go find Faye, knowing she is probably listening.

No sooner did Kat leave the room, Faye emerged, looking less than pleased, “Before you start, tell me I’m wrong.”

The tension left the female Spartan’s shoulder, “You aren’t and that is the part that infuriates me. I want the answer to be the opposite. For once, just let me right when I need to be. Come on, I need to take a walk before this all goes down,” Faye said as she led the way.

The rest of Noble Team silently left the Command Center as well to prepare for the next assignment.

* * *

The next time Sebastian sees Faye, she told him to get his gear and get into the Falcon. At first, Sebastian tensed before Jun told him to hurry up because ‘the area won’t scout itself’ and that got him into the Falcon faster than before, “Why didn’t you say so earlier? I get bored very easily. The wilds are like a second home to me. I spend weeks at a time out there. Had some pretty cool bases out there, it was quite a trip.”

Faye took a moment to let the past fifteen seconds to sink in. She turned to Sebastian, then to Jun, who shrugged, then back to Sebastian who got a sniper rifle of his own out and loaded it. She is getting one for herself and loading as much as she can carry. She grabbed a Magnum as well and clipped it to her thigh. Faye said nothing else as she held the rifle at ease and boarded the Falcon.

“So, where are we going?” Sebastian asked, wanting in on some of the details that he may or may not be missing out on. It comes as no surprise that he likes scouting, one of his favorite pastimes on Earth. He would go miles, on foot from the City, just to explore and he would have a ball just finding some cool things, like an old phone that had a playlist of Pre-Golden Age music labeled, _ ‘Skillet’ _ . Some of those songs were awesome and now they are apart of Sebastian’s playlist.

“Well, the Covenant most likely has some defenses set up that need to go down before we attack the area,” Jun said. He pulled out a magazine of sniper rounds, “Here, Six, take these. High velocity, armor-piercing. Takes the hat off of an Elite at two thousand yards, and they ain’t cheap.”

Faye caught the rounds and put them in her left breast pouch, “Useful, hopefully, I won’t need them.”

“Ohhh, this is going to be fun and I wonder how many enemies will be there, looking forward to knife takedowns,” Sebastian flexed his left arm and knives came from behind his knuckles. “These will finally have good use and maybe test it a bit.”

Faye let her curiosity slip, “Are you ever going to tell me what happened to your arm?”

Sebastian’s expression hardened, “With that persistent attitude, you may never find out.” Jun looked between the two of them and then proceeded to check his rifle over again, feigning ignorance.

Faye cursed silently and turned to look at the now night sky. This should be a good thing, but with the distance between them right now, it feels farther than it is, even though they are sitting across from each other, it feels like a valley is in between them. Her grip tightened on her rifle, something not unnoticed by Sebastian and he hates that he has to act this way but he has no choice. If he lets her in, she would have the power to destroy him. That day isn’t something he likes to mention, nor is it something he likes to reflect upon. Everything changed in his life. Every day, he struggles to remove that day from his mind, but he is reminded every day. A piece of him died down there along with many other things. That day was only minor compared to Eris’ team though, but the personal impact was enough to forge a new man.

That man became what Sebastian is now, much more closed off, but puts off a friendly vibe. A front; one he has to keep up because underneath it all, he’s a broken man. Physically, mentally, and his entire aspect of life changed when he descended into that chamber, and the only one who could possibly save him is the woman sitting across from him; she doesn’t even know how much power she holds over him and _ he’s _ the one with the fancy abilities. Some things never change.

Sebastian is having an internal war with himself. In one hand, he wants to tell her, but he knows that she wouldn’t respond well since Spartans’ emotions are dulled to the point of almost non-existence; however, with enough time and dedication, Sebastian may be able to break that shell. Knowing all that he knows, it could either be a great help or a costly mistake. On the other hand, he won’t tell her ever, even if he trusts her already and she him. It won’t matter if he proclaims his feelings to her. She could just pass them off and that is a heartbreaker on its own.

Sebastian may have his fair share of rejections, but being rejected by a crush or a ‘potential mate’ as Dove had put it, stings worse than getting told off by the Vanguard… that’s a poor analogy and Seb already did a Thrall one, so what else is there?

Oh, it stings worse than watching every one of his frie-  _ Don’t go there me, it will only make it worse. Just focus on the task and you will be alright, I hope. _

Meanwhile, Faye took a glance back at Sebastian,  _ what the hell happened to you that made you close up like this. This isn’t the person I met a day and a half ago. This is someone else entirely. _

Dove shimmed her way into existence and nudged Faye. She turned towards the floating construct and raised an eyebrow. Dove, feeling nervous staring at the visor, floated up and tap it with her fins before going to hide in the crook of Sebastian’s neck. This action brought a goofy grin on Sebastian’s face and she could feel the amusement over their connection. Dove sent her thanks as well,  _ Mission accomplished,  _ she thought to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Early Thanksgiving to everyone in the States!
> 
> Happy Early Thursday to everyone else!
> 
> -Horus
> 
> If you somehow are reading this past 12/10/19 (or 10/12/19 for everyone else, correct me if I'm wrong) I have this little note for you. I did this on FF.net but not here.
> 
> *Important Edit (12/4/19):*
> 
> I apologize for not updating, but I have so many college projects due in the upcoming two weeks that I have little time to properly sit down and write. So for now, up until the 20th of December (12/20/19), I will not be updating. This does not mean I'm stopping the story, hell no.
> 
> Also, do not expect an update on the Twentieth, that will be the day I can properly write. Since Reach came out on the MCC, it gives me better motivation and ideas. So, yay.
> 
> Moving on, with all the added stress I have, I physically have to write down what I have to do, by order of due date, meaning my mind can't think when with all the work I have due. I apologize again for the sudden announcement.
> 
> -Horus
> 
> *End Edit*


	9. Contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm alive. Full disclosure, I had this done around two days ago. Currently the longest chapter to date 6800 words, so enjoy.
> 
> Already working on Ten, I should have a decent schedule with this month off from college. Thank you all for the favorites/follows, and reviews.
> 
> Side note: still nervous on updating.

The rest of the Falcon ride was smooth and no other conversations took place. The three Noble Team members were let off on a cliffside to then work their way around it while also avoiding the Covenant Phantoms that are circling the area.

Stepping around rocks, Sebastian unholsters Her Supremacy and loads a bullet into the chamber. He follows Faye’s exact footsteps around the rocks, and from the corner of his eye, he can see Faye looking behind her to make sure he is still there. As if he needs a babysitter. At that moment though, his foot slips and his back hits the rock. Faye turned, hand outstretched already expecting him to fall. “Apologies,” he murmured under his breath, not looking her in the eye, well, helmet in this case.

Rounding the corner, Sebastian hears Jun say, “Recon team Bravo reporting in, Three, Six, and Seven in position. It’s a little crowded up here, Kat,” Jun said, making a joke. Wow, Sebastian didn’t think he had it in him, but could not help the little chuckle that escaped his mouth. Jun turned, but Faye did not. She was too busy rolling her eyes but making no physical movement.

Over the radio, Kat replied, _ “Then we’re closing in, report any Covenant structures or devices, direct action may be necessary.” _

“Copy that,” Jun cuts the feed, “Hmph, when Kat runs an op, direct action is _ always _ necessary.” Jun scoffed.

As Jun was speaking, Faye pulled out the rounds and inspected them before putting them on her chest armor, along with the ten other magazines of sniper rounds and fifteen magnum magazines. To say she was armed is an understatement. Sebastian let out a low whistle, “Damn, mind if I ask how much?”

Faye turned her head to Sebastian, who was still leaning against the cliff face, answered, “More than our ‘paychecks’ put together then some.” She followed Jun along the hill and she took in the surroundings. The mountains were a majority of the sightlines but also there was some grassy terrain, and pretty soon it was going to be stained with Covenant blood.

Meanwhile, Jun pulled himself up a rock to presumably go around the right side, “I’ll be in touch you two. Try not to go off on your own, and Six, watch him,” he ordered.

Faye only nodded and as soon as Jun was out of hearing range she holstered her sniper rifle on her back and pushed Sebastian to the cliff. Her knife was over his throat, “Now listen because I will only say this once. The Covenant are still going to come after you, and I’m telling you if they overrun us at any point, you take off, hide and call for backup.”

Sebastian had a feeling this lecture was coming. His back against the rock, and a knife to his throat, he simply stared at Faye’s helmet. That was when he realized where his hand was. One of them was still on his sniper, but the other one was on her hip, he doesn’t think she even notices it and chooses to not say anything about it. Sebastian removed his hand and put it to his side. “I understand, but just because you say to retreat if we get overrun is not going to happen. Not in a million years, because I won’t leave you behind, not now, not _ ever _. Now please, remove your knife, and let’s get on with what we came here for,” Sebastian said a little too cold for his liking, but it was to hide his now red face and accelerated heart rate.

If anything, he thought that display of force was the sexiest thing he ever had the pleasure of being apart of, implanting all sorts of dirty thoughts into his mind, _ “None of that, Sebastian!” _Dove scolded. Huffing, he put his sniper on his shoulder again, he jumped over the side and slid down the cliff face before jumping off and doing a safety roll. Yes, he could have double jumped, but he is trying to not make any noise as they are on a stealth mission. Before Faye made her way down, she knew where his hand was and a part of her didn’t want him to move it either. That’s what’s making Faye grind her teeth, she hates that she didn’t mind his hand there. That and her display of force is her showing her concern for him; how much of it, well, that is up to Sebastian to interpret.

Faye jumped down the cliff face as well, before jumping and landing right next to him. She unholstered her sniper from her back, checked to see if it was loaded and the safety was off before motioning to move up. “You move when I move, understand?” she asked, not looking at him.

She heard him sigh before muttering, “Crystal, ma’am.” she smirked under her helmet before moving up, for… other reasons. The night sky creating a perfect camouflage for Faye, her armor blends in, she even changed her visor to black. This was only for this mission, if she doesn’t have time to change it, then she doesn’t have time to change it. War moves fast, and if you aren’t caught up, then kiss your ass goodbye.

_ “Elite, ten yards up, he’s yours, Six,” _Jun said over comms. Faye put her sniper on the floor and drew a knife out. She motioned for Sebastian to stop and stay put while she went on ahead to assassinate this split-jaw. As she took careful steps forward, she was mere feet away and she leaped onto the Elite, before driving her knife into the fleshy area between their armor plates.

As she pulled her knife out of the Elite, Sebastian had already charged forward and then aimed to tackle her. She didn’t understand until Sebastian had tackled a Stealth Elite and put multiple knives through its face. After a few grunts of exertion, he climbed off of it and wiped some blood off his hands, “Sorry, but I wasn’t going to let it sneak up on you.”

Faye cursed herself, but he cut her off, “Don’t say it was your fault, I almost missed him, hell, I _ did _ . Dove had warned me, and I was quick enough to make it. I just didn’t think they would go to these lengths to get me.” He looked away, muttering under his breath, “It does actually make me nervous if they _ do _ get me. It would feel like the replication chamber all over again.”

_ ‘Replication chamber?’ _Faye thought. Another piece to his past, and another piece closer to piecing together the mysterious Sebastian Rutherford. Yet, there is so much she doesn’t know about him. The same can be said for Sebastian, as easily as he could get the files, he’d rather hear it from her.

_ “You two alright down there? Hope you’re not getting too cozy, we haven’t even made it to the dark zone yet,” _Jun’s voice said softly over comms.

“We’re good, there was a Stealth Elite, acknowledge?” Faye immediately reported.

_ “A Stealth Elite? Why are they here?” _ Jun asked with surprise and a mix of shock.

Sebastian went still as he gazed at Faye, whatever she says could be positive or completely detrimental. Faye looked back to see his now tense stance, his chest wasn’t moving, so right now, he was holding his breath, “Unknown, just watch the shadows, Three. We don’t need that on top of our list of priorities.”

_ “Copy, meet you in a minute,” _he said and promptly cut the feed.

Sebastian let out the breath he was holding and his stance went to relief, but immediately went to tense again, “Why did you lie?”

Faye had just picked up her sniper, and turned back to Seb, “I believe that it would be wise to figure out their motives before an assumption is made.”

Seb just stared blankly at her, “Bullshit,” he hissed at her, grabbing his own rifle off the ground that he dropped before charging the Elite. “_ You _ told me what can happen, just imagine if I wasn’t here, at all. You would be perfectly fine, they _ are _ watching me, so as far as I know, I _ am _ a target.”

Faye kept her stance neutral, but even she knows he is right. She _ did _ tell him that if they do catch him, they will not go easy. The last thing she wants him to experience is that kind of torture. Having to see that in a video file made her hands clench and she didn’t wish that on anyone, even her enemies if she had any. _ Because those enemies are already dead. _Not her proudest moments.

Before she was about to reply, Jun came sliding in, “Am I interrupting something?”

Sebastian was quicker on the draw, “No, we actually just finished, now come on Mr. McScouty, let’s scout,” he jested to keep him distracted. Sebastian wishes he could just be at peace and help them fight the war without being a target. His paranoia will be the reason he doesn’t trust anyone.

Hunters are naturally paranoid, but with enough close calls and many meetings with death, they become skittish when it comes to anything like being a target. Now that he thinks about it, Shin Malphur hunts down Dredgens, so to put into perspective, Seb is the Dredgen and the whole Covenant Army is Malphur; that is just _ fantastic _.

“Mr. McScouty, did you come up with that all by yourself?” Jun teased right back.

“No, actually. Read it in a Golden Age book once. Never did get to use it until now, so thanks,” Seb replied as he laid down and inched his way up to the ridgeline in front of him.

Faye heard the conversation but didn’t hear the words. She was a little busy staring at Sebastian. To be specific, she was staring at his ass. A ping from Dove snapped her out of it, _ ‘Maybe if you didn’t pressure him, he would open up to you. You two seem to be ass people. ;)’ _

Faye immediately closed the message, _ blushed _, and sent a glare to Sebastian, as if Dove was right there above his shoulder before crawling up to his right side. “How many?”

“Enough for each of us to kill seven and then some, I don’t have a visual on al- okay never mind, confirmed twenty-eight, thanks Dove,” he whispered to the spot over his shoulder where she normally is during his stealth missions. Looking back through his sniper scope, he had eyes on to the Elite in the back, who looked to be the highest-ranking one there. “Asshole in the far back is mine, you two have targets?” Both Faye and Jun replied back in confirmation. “On your go,” he looked to Jun, as he is the commanding officer here.

“Drop them,” and then all that was heard was a lot of shooting, a lot of screams from the Covenant, and maybe some chuckling from the peanut gallery, mostly Sebastian watching the Grunts flee in absolute terror, he doesn’t know _ why _ it is so funny, but it is.

Dove was scanning the area, checking the team’s six when Sebastian raised to a crouch after all the enemies were dead, and whipped a knife at a seemingly random area. That would be considered weird by many people, but her Guardian is anything but weird. He is sometimes faster than Dove detecting if someone is watching him, his ‘sixth sense.’ The problem is, the knife struck its intended target. “Ironwreath, now!”

As soon as the words left his lips, it was in his hand. Sure it was on his holster, but it’s much easier when he holds his hand out and the gun is in his grip. Bullets were fired into the shields to weaken them. While the knife only impacted the shields of the Elite, they did not crack, hence Ironwreath being used. The stealth Elite was surprised that he was found and promptly tried to save himself.

Sebastian was faster, soon enough, he drove his sword through the Elite’s torso, “Get the fuck away from me! You are not going to get me!” he snarled/hissed to it before jerking the blade up, putting a slash into the Elite’s upper chest. It fell with a whimper mixed with a growl.

The adrenaline that flooded Sebastian’s body left in that instant as he put his sword back on his belt and reloaded Ironwreath before putting it back on his thigh. Jun was impressed with his detection skills, but what he was not impressed with was his words that he heard. “Alright Seven, what did you mean by ‘You are not going to get me’?”

Sebastian turned to see Jun with a relaxed stance and a look that he could feel from the small distance between them. Faye opted to stay silent, but the smallest upward tug at her lips made an appearance.

Awkwardly chuckling, “Well, it’s a funny story-”

“Lucky for you, we don’t have time, we need to move. Three, you can pester the newblood later. Right now, we have a mission to accomplish,” Faye said, breaking the rising tension. She could have let him squirm, but now wasn’t the time. Even though his face is hidden, Seb was sending a thankful look to her. Even Dove sent a _ ‘thank you’ _to her visor.

Jun seemed to be complementing this but relented. He knew Six was right, but that does not mean Seven is getting out of it, “Fine, but I _ expect _ an explanation after we are done here, am I understood Seven?”

Seb, thankful as ever, replied, “Sure sure, whatever,” he walked past him, picking up Her Supremacy again, “on one condition… no one else can hear it. It’s me, you, and Six, no one else. Otherwise, you won’t hear it.”

Jun contemplated this for a pregnant moment, “Alright, but I want _ every _ detail, you have my word,” Jun said honestly. Sebastian picked that up from his tone and only nodded before going down to the shooting gallery that was twenty-eight Covenant soldiers.

* * *

Continuing down along the path, gunshots could be heard in the distance, along with roars and the sounds of something getting crushed. “Am I going to want to know what that was?”

Jun decided to be a wiseguy, “Yeah, you scared?”

“Honestly? Yeah, but not for the reason you may think,” Sebastian answered cryptically. Faye turned her head to the right to stare at the Guardian. She could only think of one reason why he’s scared.

In reality, Sebastian is scared for two reasons. One, for the reason of the Covenant. The second, well, the reason is standing to his left. Never in his long life of dying, reviving, and dying, again and again, did he ever think about a woman the way he does her. This isn’t lust.

It is lust and _ more _ . The more he spends time with her, the more he falls, and the more he falls, the worse it gets and it is a vicious never-ending cycle. He doesn’t know what to do. Dove spoke in his mind, _ ‘Are you admitting to yourself that she’s more to you than the previous ones? Even above her?’ _

Sebastian tuned out the world around him while he responded back, _ ‘I don’t know. I feel like if I admit it, I’m betraying her memory. It holds me back, and that’s not the only reason. I’ve only ever mentioned _ ** _that day_ ** _ in the report, and to Lord Saladin, because well, he saw what I looked like. I owe him my life. No one else knows about it, and even though she is not from our world, I feel like that would make it easier to tell her. I just don’t know…’ _

Dove cooed to her Guardian some loving words and Light, _ ‘I know you don’t want to relive that day, but wouldn’t the pain be less if you mention it to her, even in bits and pieces?’ _

_ ‘I… I don’t… I just-’ _“Hey, Seven? You in there?” Jun asked as he tapped his knuckles against the Guardian’s helmet. “You majorly spaced out there. Do we need to have this conversation sooner?”

“N-no. Just thinking about how I’m going to explain myself later,” Sebastian said, feigning confidence.

_ Lies. _ Faye thought, he was thinking of something else entirely. Thankfully, neither Jun nor Faye called him out on his bullshit excuse. The question remains: what was he thinking about? While he was zoned out, it was like his body automatically turned towards Faye, as if he was staring right through her. She could _ feel _ his hesitation, like the words were there, but died on the tip of his tongue.

Faye sent Sebastian, ergo Dove, an encoded message, she wanted to know if he was _ really _ alright. While waiting for a reply, the trio kept on walking in silence until Faye finally got a reply back. She noticed he wasn’t glancing in her direction now, yet the message’s meaning just displays he’s not fine. 

The reason she knows he is not alright is that his terrible joke combined with how he brushes off her ‘concern’ only signifies his seeming lack of concern. A defense mechanism. On the inside, he truly is frightened but attempts to maintain a cool and calm facade. Faye wanted to say something, but she didn’t know what to say that would ease him.

To Sebastian, all he really needs is the assurance that she remains there, alive, but out of his reach. He would rather have her at arms’ length than not at all. Admittedly, he’s falling for her and one reason is because of how she carries herself. Strong. Confident and much to his surprise, _ caring _. She wouldn’t -shouldn’t- care about him as much as she does. He knows it goes against the Spartan’s mantra or code or whatever they have in place. He needs to push her away but that, in turn, will hurt him in the long run. He’s caught in a conundrum and either way hurts him in one way or another.

A roar made the three squad members raise their weapons and wait for further instructions. Well, except Sebastian. He took careful steps forward before seeing a creature that makes the Covenant look tame. Whispering behind him, “Someone wants to explain what _ that _is?”

“A Gúta, native to this planet, highly aggressive. Either you can fight it, or sneak around,” Faye said factually while putting her sniper on her back.

“Yeah, I’m going with the sneaking option, Dove? Am I good?” he asked his Ghost.

_ “You have enough to do so, but as soon as you break their line of sight, disengage it. Otherwise, your Exhaustion will come back, worse than before. I don’t know when it will lift, but hopefully soon,” _she responded.

“What do you plan on doing?” Jun asked, only hearing one side of the conversation.

“Relax, you’ll still be able to ‘see’ me, however, they won’t,” Sebastian replied before going invisible courtesy of the Bladedancer’s perk, Stalker. Seb sneaked by them without a scratch, the Gútas didn’t even bat an eye as it was too preoccupied with Covenant Jackals. As soon as he broke line of sight, he stumbled slightly. He turned to Dove, “Are you sure you aren’t cut off from the Traveler?”

Dove hmphed, _ “No, it is just the amount of Light flow is slightly less than normal, noticeably so, making it take longer, you may have to go Light-free on this one.” _

Seb chuckled, “Like I did when you first revived me? Yeah, I remember, it was absolute hell and I never took my Light for granted again. I guess this gives me time to adjust to it.” He groaned as he stood against the rocks and leaned on it, the rise and fall of his chest much more noticeable at first glance.

Faye and Jun appeared moments later, noticing Sebastian against the wall, and Faye went right beside him looking right at his visor, “Want to explain now?”

“Easy. Not cut off, comes back slower, and my Exhaustion will stick around for the ride,” he said ticking off a finger at each point. “Oh, and it takes a lot of physical strength. I’m always going to be out of my element here, and that’s where I thrive.”

“Enough chatter. We have movement up ahead,” Jun said before taking point. Sebastian forced himself off the rocks and pushed himself. He really just needs a day to rest, but with how it’s going now, he won’t get that rest he so desperately needs. Upon lifting himself from the rocks, he stumbled again before taking another stabilizing step.

“Do I need to order you on medical rest before the next mission? We can’t have you dropping in the middle of a firefight,” Faye’s voice reached his now ringing ears. Those were the exact words he heard before going down into the replication chamber.

Sebastian was having an out-of-body experience and the only thing that stopped him was Faye’s hand on his wrist. The wrist that had a knife in hand. His gaze settled to where the knife was going and his heart dropped. _ No. _ His grip on the knife slacked and it dug into the earth beneath his feet. He pushed away Faye’s hand before leaning back into the wall. “I told them it was a bad idea. I _ told _them it was not going to end well. They said I was being negative… they said the exact same thing when I didn’t sleep that night… it-” he was speaking to himself while Faye just watched in concern.

Faye decided now was the best time to do something, so she did the one thing she could do. She didn’t like seeing him in distress, not when his past caught up to him. Faye had unknowingly set off one of his triggers. She did the one thing that she has seen other Marines do to each other in times of stress… and that was to hug them, giving them a small sense of comfort.

Meanwhile, Dove was trying to calm him down with little pings of Light to remind him he was still here, not down there, not where he lost almost everything. “Guardian, you’re here, not there. You aren’t back in the chamber, you’re alive.”

Sebastian tried but failed to keep the waver out of his voice, “D-Dove? I-” that’s when Sebastian realized Faye was _ hugging _ him and he should have pushed her away, he should have done _ something _ , but there was one overlying problem… _ he liked it _ . Sebastian hesitantly wrapped his hands around her armored waist; he was expecting to get told off and for her to back away. Yet, this felt _ blissful _; like he was safe from harm. Maybe that’s what he was missing, his grip tightening just a little bit. Whether she felt it through her armor, he doesn’t know.

Sebastian awkwardly cleared his throat before dropping his hands, “Sorry you had to witness that,” he grumbled. Faye had opened her eyes, not realizing she closed them and stepped back before just rushing forward to catch up with Jun who would no doubt ask questions.

Sebastian watched as she went ahead and he slumped down the rocks and sat on the cold ground with his head in his hands, “Why did this happen now? Dove? Why did it happen?”

Dove appeared before snuggling into the crook of Sebastian’s neck, “You’re starting to trust her, more than just on the battlefield, but outside of it too, subconsciously. This psychological effect makes those barriers you keep up from others come crashing down around you and to some extent, her. Not to mention it only has happened one other time,” Dove’s shell shifted, worried how her Guardian will take this revelation.

“So, I really am falling for her? She should be focused on the battle, not me. I appreciate her concern, but I just can’t bring myself forward. I really want to tell her, well, _ everything _, but I can’t find the reason why I’m holding back,” Sebastian whispered to Dove. “Little Bird, what am I going to do? I-I don’t-”

“Stop,” she commanded and he did. “Do you feel something with her?”

“Of course I do, what kind of question is that?” Sebastian snapped his head up and leaned back.

“Well then, why won’t you tell her?” Dove asked, floating in front of him now. Seb remained silent, his lips parted but no answer came. That is, until Dove spoke up, “Oh my Traveler, you’re afraid of what her reaction is!” It wasn’t accusatory, but more of an observation.

One long sigh from the slouching Hunter, “Yes, I am, okay?! I’m afraid of what her reaction is. I’m sure that if I tell her, then that’s a cold shoulder knocking at the door. Dove, I thought I was going to be alright, but I think after her when she died, that was my descent.”

“And she can be your ascent if you let her. Right now the only thing holding you back is yourself, Guardian,” Dove cooed floating in front of Sebastian.

“Have I told you before that I am so glad you chose me?” Sebastian cracked a small grin under the helmet.

“Once or twice, but I was destined to choose you, now come on, better get moving. They need you,” Dove remarked before she vanished from sight. Sebastian picked up his knife and slid it back into its pouch before following where Faye had gone.

* * *

Faye had stayed behind and heard little bits and pieces, and she heard that he does _indeed_ have feelings for her. Faye stood stiff for the next few seconds contemplating going to confront him or not. The latter was the better choice. She continued to mull over what he had said. _‘Do you feel something for her?’ _she said. _‘Of course I do.’_ he says. The answer excited and frightened her all at the same time.

The real question is, does she _ want _ him too? Spartans aren’t truly capable of feelings. At least, Spartan-IIs aren’t really capable of feelings. Spartan-IIIs? Debatable, at best. At worst, not at all. She continued to wonder of eavesdropping was a smart move. Does she actually care for him? Does she, a Hyper Lethal Vector, care for this Guardian who appeared only a week or so ago? What would happen if she _ did _ care for him? What would her team think? _ Hell, what do I think? _ Faye continued to run amuck in her thoughts while Jun was waiting lazily on a rock right before the gunfire. “I see you’re getting well acquainted, have you made a decision yet?”

Faye unintentionally ignored him while continuing to ponder what is going to happen now. “Did you say something?” Her head turned towards him.

Jun turned and muttered, _ “Whipped,” _ under his breath. “Anyway, Covenant are attacking civilians who were already supposed to be evacuated. Where’s Seven?”

“Right here,” Sebastian said before walking by with a cold, determined demeanor. Without another word, he sauntered on down with a newly equipped Scout Rifle in hand and start picking off targets.

Faye and Jun followed along helping the civilians before they shouted asking why Spartans were here. Right now, they couldn’t respond as they had the Covenant to worry about. Meanwhile, Sebastian is in ‘Hunter Killer’ mode, his eyes darting from target to target, not worrying about the injuries he will sustain, all that matters is everything that isn’t human dies.

His reloading smooth, his hand-eye coordination flawless. His steps, even. Faye was covering Sebastian with some supporting fire, she was only taking targets that were out of his line of sight. Those that were, well, they were dead, simple as that. The Covenant didn’t know what happened, and soon enough, all of them were dead. Jun had met the leader of this ragtag group in the central square before asking what they were doing out here.

Faye had followed after Jun before hearing, “Why are you here? You know this is stolen UNSC property?”

“Yeah, so? What are you going to do? We didn’t feel like leaving this place alone. We came back for these crates. We have them hidden all over the territory,” an older man, mid-forties, explained. He looked like the leader of the civilians.

Jun was no doubt smirking under his helmet, “No, we’re gonna steal it back.” The sound of a Phantom broke the atmosphere, “Get into defensive positions!”

The older man looked to see Sebastian coming from out of the woodwork, “Who’s this?”

Sebastian smirked, “Someone different, don’t worry, I’m on your side,” he said, his tone ice-cold before dropping his magazine from his Scout Rifle, Hung Jury, and replacing it before priming a round into the chamber. “Plus, these Covenant piss me off more than other humans. Lucky you.”

Faye put her sniper rifle on her back and replaced her Magnum for a DMR that was in the crates. Figured might as well play the range game. Sebastian didn’t touch any of the UNSC weaponry. He only touched the weapons he brought. Since stealth is out of the question, might as well bring the explosive toys. “Who are you? You definitely aren’t a Spartan,” the man said

“Should I be placing bets on how many times I’m going to hear that?” Sebastian asked rhetorically. “However, no I am not, but consider me above an ODST, but below Spartans, if you want to figure out where I stand. Now, we have Covenant to kill.” Sebastian’s patience ran out there as he open fired on the Phantom as soon as it opened its doors. The firefight went on and on, feeling a lot longer than it should have.

One of the civilians had unfortunately taken severe concussive fire and was knocked off the roof where he was stationed. The resulting fall caused fatal brain injuries and was declared dead. After the dust had settled, Sebastian felt that this was _ too _ easy. With a look to Faye, she already was speaking, reading his mind, “That was _ definitely _too easy. Three, have we made it to the dark zone?”

_ “Just a couple hundred meters, through the riverbed, that is the source. How are you holding up?” _ he asked, but Faye has a small feeling that he was asking for more than that.

“Green, now let’s move,” Faye said instantly, motioning for Sebastian to follow. He did so without a word more. Faye has somewhat enjoyed his company and his dry humor, leave it to him to be cracking a joke in the midst of a firefight.

Sebastian hung back from the rest, whilst chatting idly to Dove. They were mostly debating about what to do next. That was until yet another set of footsteps reached Sebastian’s ears, which didn’t make sense since he was in the back of the group. At that moment, he stopped and maneuvered his body to face the opposite direction, his weapon raised. He didn’t say anything, as his finger laid on the trigger.

Silence.

Not a breath was spent, the tension in the air thick, so much so, you could reach out and grab it. Having not found anything or heard anything else, Sebastian slowly lowered his weapon, muttering to himself how paranoid he is and cursing profusely. That was the moment it happened. Two, count ‘em, _ two _ Stealth Elites appeared one in front, and one behind him. _ These assholes are really persistent, aren’t they? Why the hell am I so important? _

Both of the Elites drew their daggers, which looked like mini Energy Swords, **“So this is Demon that the Prophets desire? Why are you more important than all of the other Demons, hm?” ** the voice thick with unadulterated authority and hidden malice. _ Definitely male. _Sebastian knew that if he spoke for help and then Faye came back, then he would be dead and hauled off.

Yet, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut for one second, “I don’t know, you tell me, far as I know, I’m no one important.”

A snarl was heard and one of the daggers plunged into his right shoulder, right above his collar bone. The energy dagger burned through his skin and armor like it was made of butter. Sebastian withheld the cry of pain that he felt on the tip of his tongue. The one in front of him was the one responsible, its other hand wrapping around Sebastian’s neck. He dropped his weapon as he clutched for the offending limb. Dove wanted to send help but Seb said no, only if they attempt to take him or he dies. **“You are unlike the other Demons, one who can come back from beyond. You ** ** _thought_ ** ** that would go unnoticed by our forces?” **the Elite’s helmet prevented Sebastian from seeing their facial expression, but if he were to guess, it probably was filled with hatred, or a smirk, or both.

Through the pain, he _ laughed _ and coughed. Through the grip on his throat, “Well, I’m at your mercy, so what you do next relies on you two,” his free hand trying to remove the limb wrapped around his throat before that arm was restrained too, by the Elite behind him. “So _ why _...are you… here?” his voice was merely a whisper.

They both chuckled darkly, then the behind him spoke, the voice sounding more _ feminine _ , **“To issue a warning, Demon, you will be coming with us, one way or another. We will be seeing you soon.” **With that, they cloaked again and walked away, but not before shoving him to the ground.

He landed on his stabbed shoulder and that was when a grunt of pain came out. Dove, now visible, starting with the upper shoulder blade and closed that wound and burn. It’ll leave a scar, but it would leave a small discoloration on his skin. At the same time, he got to his knees and rubbed his throat. There will be unexplainable bruises later, not looking forward to that. Meanwhile, his burned skin above his collar bone is a little more sensitive. Dove applied her healing little by little before the inflammation went down. “How are you going to explain this?” Dove whispered, worried and feeling a little useless.

Sebastian cradled her shell close to his chest, feeling her emotions through their bond, his breathing still hoarse, “You’re not useless, little bird. I didn’t want to cause panic. That is something I don’t need, now disappear, it’s dangerous for you to be out here. I’ll find a way to explain later,” he said, turning his head towards where those Elites came from. The last thing he wants to do is have her captured.

At that moment, Faye came back and saw the aftermath. “Do you want to explain? Or am I going to have to force you to tell me?” Her arms were crossed and her brows were set in a scowl under the helmet.

Sebastian’s posture straightened as he turned to Faye. The blood on his shoulder would only be visible to her only if she- “What the hell happened to your shoulder? Why are you bleeding?”

It took all of his willpower not to wince at her condescending/angry tone before grabbing his weapon off the ground and sauntering on by her, his arm still stinging in phantom pain. “You need to tell me, Sebastian. I need to know what happened!”

Sebastian turned and stared her in the visor, and spoke through gritted teeth, angry at himself more than her, _ “A warning,” _and walked on ahead to the dark zone.

* * *

Faye wanted to stop him, she wanted to make him tell her what happened., but she also knows that’s not the way to get him to talk to her. Yet, right now, the mission comes first and she only wants to get out of here. They have been here for three hours now and they should be out in the next hour or so if everything goes well.

Upon reaching the dark zone, the entire group came across the source of the disturbance. A small Covenant Tower was the source of this area’s darkness. Jun noticed the blood on Sebastian’s shoulder, “Do I even want to know?” Jun looks to Faye, “Did you do that to him, or was it self-inflicted?”

Faye scoffed, “I _ wish _ it was me, but that’s his story to tell,” she gestured to Sebastian, her tone clipped.

“Don’t we have other important problems, like those Elites and Grunts, and Jackals, because I want to get back to base before we decide to blow the Covenant to hell,” Sebastian quipped as he took aim with his sniper and fired on three Elites, killing them instantly. Faye, Jun, and the remaining civilians left alive opened fire killing the rest of the Covenant in the area.

“Cover me, I’m going to plant an explosive into the power cell and when the time is right,” Jun said before making his way over to the tower and started strapping the bomb. In the meantime, Sebastian was taking shots at the Covenant and Faye was rushing through them with her knives. They didn’t know what happened.

After the shooting stopped, Sebastian took one last look around the area before seeing a glimmer on the ridgeline across from him. His fists tightened around Her Supremacy, but he didn’t react any further, they would be gone before he could get a shot off. Yet, one action didn’t escape his eyes; the ‘we’ll be watching you’ motion. Sebastian let out a low growl, barely audible to himself.

That was when Faye stepped next to him on his right side and heard it. She said nothing, waiting for him to speak first. Sebastian put his sniper on his sling and pulled it behind him. At the same moment, a roar was heard, and it was close. Sebastian should have recognized it, but he didn’t have to. Faye radioed Jun, “Three, we have Hunters inbound, acknowledge?”

_ “Copy, how much time do you think I have?” _ One of the Hunters fires a shot that whizzed by Jun’s position, _ “Cancel that query, Six.” _

Even though he is in the middle of a fight, a small snicker escaped Sebastian. Both Faye, verbally, and Dove, mentally, scolded him. Add that to the fact that Faye actually hit him; it was his recently stabbed shoulder, so he stifled a groan, but the wince didn’t go unnoticed. Faye’s mood quickly morphed to concern, but that went away as soon as it came. She recalls his words from Sword Base and reminds herself that it is better this way. Even though her mind says no, her body's saying yes. How she manages to keep that together is beyond her understanding.

For Sebastian, he only wants to confess everything, but fearing her reaction is his main roadblock at the moment. That, and the Elites are after him, made contact and stabbed him. So if he was asked how his day was, he would tell you it was just peachy. What snapped him out of his stupor is a Fuel Rod shot across the nose. That made him start shooting at those ‘Hunters’. “I’m really disliking these things,” he said aloud.

_ “Don’t worry, we do too Seven,” _ Jun replied before adding, _ “Okay charge planted, clear them out and we’re headed home.” _

That motivated Sebastian because he switched to Hung Jury and opened fire on the stragglers and got in a few potshots on those Hunters. One fell soon after the other, and to top it all off, the other civilians survived, so that made Sebastian feel slightly better.

After the bullet exchange stopped, the three Noble Team members crawled over to a cliffside to see something that surprised everyone. Jim was the first to report, “Kat are you seeing this?”

“Sending visual,” Faye said, starting her VISR’s recording software.

Kat’s voice sparked over the comms, _ “Seeing visuals of Noble Three, Noble Six receiving confirmation of Covenant Strike force.” _

Jun cut in, “That’s not a strike force, _ that’s _an invading army!”

Kat seeing the truth of that statement, _ “Agreed.” _ She then ordered all recon teams to pull back, _ “It’s going to be dawn soon and it’s going to be a very busy day.” _

_ Busy day indeed Kat, _Sebastian thought as they headed back the way they came. Sebastian took one last look up to see the Elites gone. He took one of his spare knives and threw it into the ground sticking blade in the dirt. If they find it, they should know…

They crossed the line first and they initiated first contact...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's that. Have a nice day, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays all. Be safe.
> 
> -Horus


	10. A Secret Unearthed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! I did a lot of this today, even with my family around. I know its rude, but I wanted to make sure you all had sumthin to read.

After making the trek back to the insertion point, from where they started, they hopped back on a Falcon back to base. It was awkwardly quiet, even for Jun. The best part was he wasn’t the source of it. The source was seated across from him, where Faye and Sebastian are sitting close together but far enough away where they aren’t in contact with one another. Jun had to stifle his chuckles before either one decided to shoot him.

As much as Sebastian is an enigma to this world, Jun knows that Faye could kill him in about fifty different ways with her hands alone. So, on the rating of scariness, she wins. “So, when am I going to get the explanation that I was promised?”

Sebastian turned his head to look at Jun before answering, “When we are in complete privacy and no one can hear us, audio and visual bugs included. I will not be tolerating them,” he said before stretching, his left arm is starting to feel uncomfortable. _ Might have to take care of that soon. _ He rolled his shoulder before feeling a faint click and comfort returned to him. His other shoulder still stings, but that will fade over time.

He turned his head a little more to look at Faye, who was still staring out into the Falcon and sighed. Sebastian knows he is going to have to tell her and well, he has the perfect idea on how to. _ It should be easy, I think. _

Without turning around, Faye asks, “The first thing you can tell us is what the hell happened to your shoulder, and don’t lie to me Seven. If there is one thing I hate more than the Covenant, it’s _ liars. _ ” She turned to finally look at him, “What _ actually _ happened to your shoulder? More than just this ‘warning’?”

“No, the warning was the truth, you just won’t like hearing it. So I’m not lying. I’m omitting details, because if you expect _ me _ to fill out a report, then you are as crazy as my mentor. That robot does _ not _ do reports,” Sebastian said seriously, and truthfully; _ mostly _.

The female Spartan clenched her fists and her jaw before speaking through gritted teeth, “Either you’ll tell me or-”

“Or _ fucking _ what?! Are you going to torture me? Force me to tell you the truth I’d rather you not know?!” Sebastian said with a slight raise to his voice. _ Because it would compromise you if you act all concerned, _is what he wanted to say after that.

“_ Children _, please,” Jun said causing both of the people across from him to look at him, “Obviously there is an underlying problem here, and until you two figure it out, you will not get anywhere with each other.”

“If you’re so smart, then what _ is _ our problem?” Sebastian inquired with a raised eyebrow concealed by his helmet, but his tone conveyed his impatience.

“You both are blind if you can’t see it,” Jun answered cryptically. _ Oh, I know what it is, but I’m too worried to admit it outright, _Sebastian thought to himself and said nothing else for the rest of the trip.

Faye, on the other hand, would need to take some of her stress out on some simulations. With those, she can stop thinking about Sebastian and how he infuriates her. She wants to know what happened out there. She saw the blood and burn mark on his shoulder, and she knows that Dove cannot clean his armor easily, or if at all. So, a question is raised, is he going to keep it a secret or is he going to say something?

Jun was shaking his head before updating the rest of the team that they were coming back. In a final note, he told the team that ‘the newlyweds still need to work out their issues.’

That got a chuckle from Emile, Kat, and Carter. Jorge, however, was laughing harder than he should have. Jun’s shoulders only shook a little, otherwise, he would have laughed out loud and that would gain the looks from said newlyweds. Jun went silent as he continued to ponder when they would admit it to each other. It’s not the first time a Spartan has fallen in love.

Spartan-IIIs are more susceptible to falling in love because they weren’t like the IIs who were bred for war and nothing else. Jorge may be the exception, but the point stands. Even under all that armor and rough exterior, Noble Six is falling in love. Jun took a sly look at Sebastian, seeing him take a glance at Faye, then he clenched his fists before shaking his head. Oh, he is most definitely falling for the woman. The woman who needs someone like Sebastian. Not everything in life is about war, sometimes, one needs a shoulder to lay on. Faye needs to understand that it’s okay to let your guard down once in a while. To her, it means weakness, but to others, it means that they are _ human _.

It doesn’t matter what happens, but all that matters now is that those two get their act together, because they can be a real fighting force once they settle their disputes. Jun knows it, they are a danger to themselves more than others. He just doesn’t want to be the one to spoil the surprise.

It is kind of amazing how they haven’t tried to kill each other yet, maybe they have, but you can’t argue with the potential results. Imagine them giving orders and holding the line, it would be a glorious sight to see, but with how the war is going on Reach, that fate is uncertain. Jun wanted to make conversation, but after the mission, everyone needs time to themselves.

* * *

As much as Sebastian wanted to make himself scarce at the moment, he had to own up to his dues. The Guardian does owe them an explanation, to all of them, in private. All of Noble Team doesn’t need a secret like this. Sebastian also has a contingency plan for certain requirements. He’ll have to make preparations soon, and that feeling of dread is creeping up on him again. That same feeling before the tipping point of the SIVA crisis. His Hunter instincts are heightened and Seb’s paranoia is worse than his normal levels. These feelings he gets, they usually are never wrong, and that’s how they thrive as Hunters. They rely on them because they have proven to be right.

They soon landed and Sebastian hesitated to get out of the Falcon. He whispered to Dove, “Dove, I got a feeling, and it just _ itches _. It’s really bad.”

“You haven’t gotten this bad since…”

“Yeah… Since the apex of the SIVA crisis, it is _ that _kind of feeling. Something I have to address as well,” he murmured to Dove.

Faye happened to hear the last sentence, “You have more than that to address, Seven.” Oh, she’s _ pissed _, she called him ‘Seven’ instead of ‘Sebastian’ or ‘Seb’. Well, she is in the right to be mad, because the truth will have to come out. Honesty is the best policy, as the saying goes. In Sebastian’s experience, he’s indifferent to it, it works some of the time, other times it does not and he has to go along for the ride.

“I know that, and I will do my best to explain it. At this point, I’m debating whether or not to explain _ all _ of it. Maybe that’s the Guardian in me who needs to keep a secret to survive,” Sebastian shrugged, still following into the base they were at before. Sebastian took a look at the entrance and saw the name on the wall, _ Firebase Talon _.

“I thought you had said to Jun that trust was a commodity in your world,” her tone firm yet calm. He did say those exact words a little over a week ago to Jun outside in the base. It doesn’t seem that long ago, but it was, times flies in war.

Sebastian lowered his hood and twisted his helmet, revealing his face, his hair unkempt, a slight scruff that needs to be shaved, and yet Faye got lost in his eyes for a moment just admiring how _ perfect _ they look. Sebastian noticed her awkward stance but chose not to comment about it, “It is, but that doesn’t mean you put all of your cards on the table. There are some things not worth knowing. Some of my fireteam members _ still _ don’t know me fully, and we’ve been working together for about a decade. They’ve tried, but I have reason to be as closed off as I am.”

Snapping out of her trance, blinking under her helmet a few times, trying to get the sound of his voice, unfiltered by his helmet, out of her head. The small scruff on his face made him- _ Snap out of it! _ “You don’t seem closed off to me,” she observed. It’s true, while they have had their _ complicated _ moments, he doesn’t seem to give off the loner-type, despite what his ‘class’ implies.

“Strange, is it not?” he asked, almost rhetorically, before the helmet encased in his arms disappeared in a rapid display of pixels. “Thank you, Dove. Now, time to enter the lion’s den.”

Faye lightly snorted, “They aren’t _ that _ bad, are they?”

“Become the target of their questions and you’ll see it from the inside out,” Seb quipped before walking inside the base. The base still looked as dull as it was the last time. _ ‘You’re right Sebastian, they really to liven it up. The Tower looks better than this,’ _Dove said into his mind.

Humming his agreement he began his de-stress walk, something to prepare him in times of, well, stress. Once inside the halls, Sebastian saw some Marines idly chatting but stopped once Sebastian came into sight. One of them broke off from their circle of other Marines and approached Sebastian, standing a few inches shorter than him. “Can I help you, Marine?” The term foreign to him, but it _ is _ what they are.

The Marine remained silent. Now, Sebastian may be tall, but that doesn’t make him intimidating. “Marine, I can’t help you if you don’t speak,” Sebastian said calmly. Faye had wandered away to find the rest of Noble Team to give her report. Sebastian still doesn’t like the authority that this place gives off.

“Uhm, I uh-”

“Which one of your friends put you up to this?” Sebastian asked, sensing the soldier’s unease. The Marine gulped before twisting his head back to look at the others, they were laughing and poorly concealing it. “What rank are you, Marine?”

“PFC Brown, sir,” Brown responded automatically, before saluting.

_ PFC… PFC… oh, so the new guy. _Sebastian grabbed his hand and made him lower it, “I don’t do saluting, keep that in mind. If you address me in the future, don’t salute me, I grew up around people who don’t normally follow the book to a ‘T’. Follow me, I want to see something.”

“A-Are you sure?”

“Yep, come on, I want to meet your squad. I assume they do the whole, ‘piss on the new guy, or girl’ thing?” Sebastian asked, but his blood was boiling. Him being a Guardian, he taught some of the newbie Hunters how to wield a blade after they couldn’t do it themselves, they asked for help and got it from others. Guardians helped the Kinderguardians because they needed everyone in the best shape possible. Sebastian had to learn on his own and Dove gave pointers from old hunting logs and his technique developed from there, but again, he is not on his home planet. He isn’t in the Last City anymore, he’s on Reach were this practice of shitting on the newbie is allowed. People would be exiled if they didn’t help. Humanity in his world is on its last legs and every Guardian helps.

“Y-Yes, kind of annoying if you ask me,” Brown said looking bashful.

“Where I come from, we lift others up. Something everyone needs to learn, but I don’t expect anything to change. Keep your chin up,” Sebastian encouraged. At that moment he reached the other marines and the warm feeling he had vanished. Brown took a step back, noticing the change. Their laughing ceased. “So, are you going to be uplifting? You were all newbies once. I was too, once upon a time and I’ve spent what felt like _ lifetimes _ fighting. So do yourselves a favor, be nice to your fellow soldiers, you don’t know when their timer will expire.”

With that, Sebastian walked away, hopefully talking some sense into them, but he doesn’t hold out hope for that. Dove didn’t even bat her eye. She knew they wouldn’t take it to heart, but she does appreciate her Guardian’s effort. The Command Center was just down the hall and suddenly, Jun appeared. “Can I help you, Three?”

“You’re late, and you need not mess with Marine tradition, they have done it for years. Now come on, you’re needed for this next conversation,” Jun said, his tone stern and leaving no room for argument.

Jun led the Guardian down some more twists and turns before entering a room that contained the rest of Noble Team. All had their helmets off except Emile, of course. So, Sebastian got a good look at Faye and he knows that his heart has been claimed, but he forced his expression to be neutral.

“Sebastian,” his attention turned from Faye to Carter, whose lips were set in a firm stance, “Start from the beginning and do not leave a single detail out.” Not surprising, Sebastian would not like to be kept in the dark.

“It started in the relay, one of those Zealots had said I smelled like death. Which you may not notice it but my origins start from a pile of bones or less. I was dead for quite a _ long _ time. So naturally, I smell like a walking corpse. The Elites have a better sense of smell, so it said their ‘Prophets’ would want me. That was the first time,” Sebastian started before rubbing the bridge of his nose.

No one spoke, so he continued, “The second time was at Sword Base and that was that orange Elite with that orange sword,” the team perked up at that, even Faye. Noble Team all shared a glance.

“Seven, that was a General. They only come when their higher-ups need something done. What were they there for?” Jorge asked. “The Covenant work in strange ways so there must be a reason, Seb.”

Sebastian sighed, “Me.”

Now they were all confused, except Faye as she knows this already. “Care to elaborate there bud?” Emile scoffed.

“The most logical reason that this General was there was for _ me _ . He was after _ me _. They want me for some reason. A reason that if I’m caught, I won’t particularly like. This was the second encounter with an Elite.”

“The second?!” Carter raised his voice. Clearing his throat, “How many more?”

Holding up a finger, “Once more recently and I’m totally expecting anger from all of you. Two Stealth Elites left a warning… last night.” Every single pair of eyes landed on the Guardian, all had a mix of emotions. Seeing that as his cue, he pulled his right sleeve off and showed his shoulder which still had nasty burns from the sword and he removed the covering on his throat, to show the bruising on his neck. Faye grimaced, it looked worse than it was.

“How are you even able to speak right now? Those marks should have crushed your windpipe. Hell, you should be dead with marks like that,” Jun commented as he saw the extent of it. The marks were a deep purple mixed with blue and a tinge of green.

“Didn’t you hear? Dove is an excellent healer; she healed the internal damage, but external damages are much different. The way she heals is different, something I haven’t truly understood. I’m not a Warlock so how could I know?” Sebastian rambled before Faye cleared her throat. “Uhm, right. Point being, I’m a target and they _ will _ get me, maybe not now, but soon, by the way, they made it sound… it is within the month.”

“Tell me why I shouldn’t put you under orders to not go on the next mission,” Carter’s tone was even which meant he was on thin ice.

“Because even if you did, I would still find a way out. I don’t just _ sit out _ because my life's on the line, as a matter of fact, I’d much rather die on the battlefield with no regrets. I’ve been alive for three centuries, Commander, and if you damn well think that I’m going to sit idly by and just wait for them, then you are wrong. If they do get me, fine. They won’t break me. Why? I’ve suffered from other forms of torture and lost a lot in the process.” A pang of mental pain reminded him of the last loss he suffered. “This won’t stop me, it is only another obstacle I must overcome, come hell or high water.”

The room went silent and no one spoke up. That was until Jorge started laughing. Now, Sebastian was the one confused before Jorge finally spoke, “Spoken like a true Spartan.”

Seeing the rest of the squad, even Faye cracked a small smile, “Wait, this was a test, wasn’t it?”

Emile let out a laugh, “His old age is getting to him, finally.” Jun was chuckling, along with Kat. Carter had a look of approval on his face.

“We knew for a while, we have eyes in the backs of our heads you know? And by we, I mean them,” Faye said with a little bit of embarrassment? “Figured they would want to see how long it would take you to fess up. Good thing you did, we wouldn’t want you to fight them on your own.”

“Kat, begin the briefing while I get the assault team ready,” Carter ordered then left the room.

* * *

Sebastian heard the plan and made his comments about it, which were valid, and left right after. Nothing feels the same, and something is bothering him. It’s not Faye or Noble Team.

It’s his Light. Questions that have answers that don’t make a lot of sense.

How does he still have his Light? Dove believes that she can pull Light from her surroundings, but Sebastian doesn’t believe it. He thinks differently. He thinks that the Traveler exists in this universe, somewhere. It’s just not here in this Solar System. It’s why he can still _ use _ his Light, but the Exhaustion timer is longer. The closer you are, the less time you’re out of the game. Honestly, a really weird stipulation, but it does make sense. If you’re closer to the source, wouldn’t it be faster than someone away from the source? Most definitely.

According to Dove, he should be alright for moderate Light use, if he needs it. He most likely won’t need to use it, but only when he _ has _to, life or death. Sebastian continued to wander about the base before the sunset caught his eye. It was beautiful, every warm color blending together perfectly. Almost like a dance.

“Dove, are we alone for now?” he asked his Ghost.

She appeared and her colors are a little dull, “We are for the moment. What do you need?”

“If I ever get another moment alone, remind me to clean your shell,” he said to himself more than her. “I need to record a message, in the event of my capture.”

Dove’s fins shifted nervously, “Well, what are you going to say?”

Sebastian refocused on the horizon before him, “Well, it’s mostly going to be for Faye, but I need you to promise me one thing, little bird.” Sebastian knows she is going to put up a fight for when she hears his one request.

“Do I really want to know what it is? Judging from the grimace that’s on your face, Guardian, I’m not going to like what you have to say,” she settled on top of his head, into his hair.

“Well, I am going to talk about my past. What happened that day, about Rose, SIVA. Everything,” Sebastian breathed out, his fingers twitching out of nervousness.

“Even your-”

“Yes, even my feelings for Faye, those will be in there. I’d rather them focus on their mission than me, you know? But I’d rather not leave a secret behind,” Sebastian shrugged, feeling his emotions being drained out of him at the mere thought of leaving them. “The problem is that I don’t have a reliable way to deliver the message.” He gently held out his hand for Dove to land in. She sighed, as well as a Ghost could before Sebastian brought her to his chest, where she could feel his heartbeat, beating rapidly. “Dove, if I do get captured, I need you to stay behind and deliver this message for me.”

Dove’s eye snapped open and she harshly glared at her Guardian, “Are you out of your mind?! I would _ never _ leave you _ willingly _ like that! I would stay with you!”

“And risk you being found out? Taken from me by _ force _? I would lay down my life for your safety and I’d rather you be safe here than there. Do me a favor and bring up file X-3293, for what my plan is in this event,” Sebastian huffed, completely expecting her reaction, but still surprised him. He thought she would go with it.

Dove muttered how dumb he is being right now before seeing the file in front of her. She was absolutely shocked, “Where did you get the time for this? I’ve been with you the whole time, so how did you do it? You made plans for a compartment for me?”

“I have my ways, little bird,” Sebastian replied smugly. “And I trust her the most out of any of them. So, any complaints about the design? After all, it’s more about you, since you’ll be the one in there,” Sebastian used the little spare time he had since he found out the Covenant’s intentions to make this project.

Simply put, it’s a slot for Faye’s armor, the catch, it’s like the Ghost’s pocket dimension they go in whenever they phase, so she will be safe with someone who isn’t a target.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Dove said softly. “I could still be with you, in case they try to kill you.”

“Then they would kill me, and any chance of ever learning anything about me or our world would die with me. This way, you’ll be safe, at least I hope,” Seb pleaded.

“But if I’m too far away from you and you-”

“I considered that fact, and I’m ready to accept it.” A long, tense stretch of silence passed between the two, “Are you ready to record the message?”

Against her better judgment, she gave him a queue and he poured his heart out for this message, in the back half of it at least. _ Faye Lockhart, if you break his heart, I’ll break your suit. He needs you as much as you need him. I just hope I never need this message. _

* * *

“So why are we going to the armory?” Dove asked when Sebastian came back inside the base.

“Well, you kinda have to help me install it on her armor, otherwise you won’t have it. By technicality, you’re the only one who can _ actually _ install it. We just have to make it to her armor and not be found out by her. Not looking forward to that if it does happen,” Sebastian mumbled.

Dove scoffed upon entering the armory where all of the Spartan’s armor, save for Emile’s and Jorge’s, were present. However, things never go as planned, as a lab technician was present. “What are you doing in- Oh, it’s you.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Sebastian questioned before saying ‘screw it’ in his mind. “I’ll be blunt, how well can you keep a secret?”

The technician’s eyebrows furrowed, “Normally, yes, but if it’s with the Spartan’s armor, then no.”

“Well, too bad, in the event that something happens to me, I need a fallback plan, and I’m going to install a module into Noble Six’s armor that will allow my friend to stay with her,” the warm facade Seb previously had faded. “Go ahead and tell them if you want, I’ll be doing this anyway, because it’s not for me, it’s for her,” Seb gestures to Dove who was floating beside him.

“Why would I let you?” the technician, whose name was on his name tag. It read ‘_ Marcus’ _

The blunt path it is then, “Well, Marcus, to put it simply and to blow your mind, she can disappear into a different dimension so she’s out of danger. I’m installing a module that acts as an anchor point for her. Unlike for me, it’s an innate thing, as she’s tied to my soul. It will allow her to phase and stay anchored to Six’s armor, like how Dove is anchored to me. So either you come here and learn this or go about your day.”

_ That _ got Marcus’ attention and he shut up and silently watched the pair work and install the module. As a test, he asked Dove to lock on to the module and phase within her armor. 

It took a few seconds for Dove to disappear and power the suit. The shields crackled to life and then returned to normal. Marcus commented, “Huh, it gives her armor a 12% increase in her shields and a flat 16% power bonus.”

“Don’t get any ideas there bud, she’s my Ghost,” Sebastian warned him.

Dove’s voice came from the suit, “Relax, in this, I can’t do much of anything, it’s only a safety point for me,” Marcus’ eyes widened.

He then muttered, “Alright, I’ll take ‘Stuff I never thought I’d see for one thousand, Alex.’ What a time to be alive.”

Dove giggled from the suit, “Alright, can I leave this now?”

“Sure,” Sebastian didn’t want to admit it, but when she anchored into the suit, he felt cold, even goosebumps appeared under his armor. _ This separation might kill me before the Covenant does. _ “Come on, we need to scatter before they come back. Not going to want to explain it to them. Marcus, if she notices a change, chances she won’t, then tell her it was a routine check, so don’t mention it, would ya?”

“Fine fine,” he said waving Seb off, he didn’t ever expect to see that ever. Marcus continued to ponder what he just witnessed.

Checking both ways before exiting the armory, Sebastian rushed back outside before relaxing. He took in the skyline again before sighing.

Dove wasn’t done though, “You felt the cold too didn’t you?”

Sebastian winced, “I-“

“Don’t lie to me, I know you better than that,” she chastised him.

Her Guardian huffed, “Okay, l did, and I’ll be the first to admit I detested it but if it’s what needed, then so be it.”

“What about what _ I _ want?” Dove retorted, feeling a little discarded.

“You think this is what I want to do? Dove… Light… the last thing I _ want _ to do is send you away but I wo- _ can’t _\- risk you. Please do it for me, I would never send you away without a good reason.”

Now seeing the true meaning of his words, she felt nothing but love towards her Guardian, but she also feels his trepidation. Resting on his shoulder, ever so gently, she whispered, “Have no fear, Guardian, have courage. I’ll be around forever.”

“A promise? How rare coming from you,” Seb joked.

“Seeeeeb...” Dove warned, seeing his joking mannerisms making an appearance.

“Sorry, defense mechanism, can’t help it,” Seb shrugged one shoulder, making a small smile appear that didn’t reach his eyes.

A voice snapped his attention away and he turned to see Kat leaning on the wall in her armor, “Hey, Seb!”

“How can I help you, Kat?” Seb asked, turning to face her.

Kat took slow steps towards him, inspecting him. She took notice of the weariness in his eyes, something that’s in her sister’s eyes too. Kat mentally scoffed, _ those two are so alike yet so different. _ “How are you?”

His reaction was expected, “Is this another test because I didn’t study. Come to think of it, I don’t ever study,” Seb said with a smirk. Dove was still resting on his shoulder, but her eye was scanning to make sure there was no funny business.

“This is a legitimate question, Sebastian. To be frank, I’m actually worried for you,” Kat said flatly. “Not about your battle status, your mental status.”

“Oh,” not the twist he was expecting. “Meh, it’s probably way beyond your regulations anyway. I haven’t lost myself yet, except for one time.”

“That day you keep referencing, how does it affect you now?” Kat is asking to see his mental state, she expects him or his companion to figure it out.

“It has its moments, only when certain things pop up, or I get reminded,” Seb took a glance at her robotic arm, now he was seeing the empathize part a while back. “When did you get yours?”

“Right after we lost our previous Noble Six. It was supposed to me but I took a Banshee bomb and it put me out of commission for a couple of weeks until I got outfitted with this,” she explained easily, she dealt with the aftermath for a few years but learned to accept it.

Now she had to take a stab in the dark, “When do you get yours?”

Sebastian stiffened and Dove’s eye flashed red. Dove was about to fly off his shoulder and give her a piece of her mind. Sebastian’s hand clamped over her shell, “No, Dove, she has a right to ask. It would make it easier,” he sighed again, his eyes again turning back to the sky. “I got it after the incident. Still trying to cope with it. I may be alive for centuries after it, but I’m still human. This scar won’t just disappear. A part of me does and doesn’t want it to go.”

“It shows your strength, something you can rise above,” Kat offered her advice. Pushing a boundary again, “Could I see it?”

Dove grumbled again before disappearing to stow the harsh remark she wanted to say, “Unfortunately, I’m not exactly comfortable showing it off. No one has really seen it except the people who helped -saved- me and myself.”

“I see. Take care of yourself, Sebastian,” Kat offered a small smile before turning and walking back inside the base.

“Take care, Kat, and please keep this to yourself,” Sebastian said, not moving his gaze, but his tone held pleading, borderline desperation. He didn’t know if Kat even heard him.

Once she was out of sight and hearing range, Dove was angry, “The nerve of her, asking you about that,” she looked to her Guardian, “Why aren’t you upset?”

Sebastian chuckled, “Because she wasn’t the first one I told about it.”

Dove didn’t understand for a microsecond before she remembered, “Oh, sorry.”

Sebastian whispered in a loving tone, “Don’t worry, little Light, I know you are only looking out for me.”

The sky faded and he headed inside before entering his quarters and finally closing his eyes for what felt like the first time in months. Much to his dismay, it wouldn’t be a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Faye was elsewhere in the base, out of armor, doing her rounds. The last thing they needed was the Covenant taking him in the middle of the night. Faye shouldn’t be worried but she is and that’s what is making her do these rounds constantly. An excuse to be away from him. Sebastian made himself scarce after the briefing and she ran to do her simulations that she wanted to do, it was a great stress reliever.

She needs to get her head on right. It doesn’t seem likely that she would want to be around Sebastian as much as she does, but that doesn’t stop her from thinking about him. How he looks, how he speaks, how he acts… _ Damn, I really need to stop. _

At that moment, Kat came by, “Hello sister, feeling alright?”

Normally when Kat asks this question, even back in basic, Faye wouldn’t respond, but, “Conflicted,” she said finally.

Kat took her opportunity, “Who are you and what have you done with the real Faye?”

“I’m serious, Kat,” Faye huffed.

“I know, but you usually blow me off when I ask you that question,” Kat reasoned. “Am I going to have to guess what has you all conflicted?” As she said that, a sly smile came to the brains of Noble Team, “It’s him, isn’t it?”

Faye answered quickly, “No!”

“So it is him. He asked me not to tell you, but out of everyone, you deserve to know that we were right about his arm.”

Faye recoiled, perplexed, “I was?” Her thoughts now running rampant on why he would need it.

“You were also right about saying it was his past, not his pride,” Kat supplied her Spartan sister. Normally, pride comes before the fall. He doesn’t take pride in it. Kat only saw regret in his eyes. What happened down there? 

“So he told you and not me?” Faye said a little louder than she thought she did. This irked her for some reason.

“Is that _ jealousy _ I hear?” Kat smirked. Kat noticed this is the first time she showed any emotion other than nothing because that exists in only one person, Faye.

“Ugh, what is he doing to me?” Faye asked exasperated.

“He’s finally getting through that shell of yours, my dear Faye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Merry Christmas! Happy Boxing Day to Canada as well! (Also uploaded at 11:55 PM 12/25/19, so it's still on Christmas people!)
> 
> From the Author,
> 
> Horus


	11. The Rise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so... may have gone overboard and wrote about 9400 words this chapter...
> 
> At least I'm closing off the year strong? My original plan was to do 10k words and split them equally into two separate chapters, but I just couldn't. So you all get this heap of a chapter. The first like 2k words is a scene that I believe to be necessary. (Not a Sex scene. God, I'm not writing that. Sorry if some of you wanted that.)
> 
> If you don't like it, fine. If you do, well, was it good?
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the Chapter and Happy New Year, to those who still haven't celebrated it. Otherwise, how's the new decade?

It should come as no surprise that Sebastian was not sleeping well, his dreams have been evolving lately. They all used to contain his past love, Rosalina. Now those dreams are starting to contain vague references to Faye and it terrifies Sebastian. This was all he needed to wake up in a cold sweat and heavy breathing. He finally took off all of his armor, because sleeping in armor is not as comfortable as one would believe, he wasn’t a Warlock in robes that were soft. With his armor off, he got a nice reminder of what lies beneath it. His past, his failure, and his trauma. The trauma still gets to him, and for many years after it happened, he wallowed in his own guilt. This guilt made him push everyone away, and he really only talked to his mentor, and Dove, after that.

Rubbing his eyes, clearing the tears that were making their way down his face, he stood up from his bed and went to grab a razor and some shaving gel; might as well clean up the ugly looking mug that is his face. Looking in the mirror, his blue eyes looked puffy, red, and dull, almost lifeless, ironically. He scoffed before putting the gel into his hands and his left hand was significantly colder than his right. Right before he started to shave, he swears he saw a flash of red in the mirror, the SIVA kind of red, and that made him turn to see... nothing. Nothing at all... _ It’s your imagination, it’s not here. You’re safe from it Seb, you’re better than this. Why do my nightmares place her there? She’s not even apart of my world. _

Sighing, he turned around to shave his face, finally. After he got rid of the offending facial hair, leaving a small stubble, he decided his mix of brown and blonde hair looked a little too long for his liking. He washed his hands to clear off any remaining facial hairs and ran his hands through the mane that was his head. After searching the little cabinet behind the mirror, he found a pair of scissors and a trimmer and closed the mirror before sighing. “Why do I think so much about her? Why has she suddenly influenced my thoughts?”

Dove was sleepy but still conscious enough to hear her Guardian’s musing. With a subtle ping, she answered, _ ‘because you love her, Sebastian. You truly do love her, you admitted it earlier but the true effect of your words didn’t hit you until now.’ _

Turning around to see his Ghost still sleeping, he sighed before beginning to cut his hair. In what felt like hours, but only took mere minutes, his hair looked normal, shorter, but comfortable, and that’s what mattered to him. 

Putting down his items and cleaning up the multiple messes he made, he decided that sleeping was not going to happen, at least right now. He turned around to see Dove’s shell, floating close by his armor, save for the helmet. Seeing the look in her optic, he gingerly picked up Dove’s shell and cradled it close. He needed some space, and the base does have some long hallways.

Once he left his room, armor donned on his person, he traversed the halls of the base, passing the Marines on Nightwatch. They nodded their heads in greeting and Sebastian did the same. The base felt calm at night, or maybe it was because he didn’t have to explain why he was up at this ungodly hour of the night. Especially when he is going on the ‘raid’ tomorrow. Not the first sleepless night the Hunter has had, and it most definitely won’t be the last.

Sebastian, through all the twists and turns, had managed to find his way to the upper observation deck and saw this big giant tinted glass window that showed the outside where multiple ships were fighting in the sky. Dove was partially awake, so she only mumbled somewhat coherent sentences. He took this moment to take a small wire brush, hidden in his armor to clean off her shell, the best he could anyway. If she was fully awake he would have her change shells, so get could the inner areas. Sebastian gently set her down on the closest table and began to work diligently and smiled when he heard Dove mumble, “That tickles Seb.” 

“I thought I would find you here, stargazing,” Faye’s soft voice came from the entrance of the room. It meant she was out of her armor, well, at least her helmet was off. Her voice slightly echoed as no one else was up here, save for Sebastian. “Why are you awake?” Her footsteps clunked against the metal floor as she approached him.

Setting down the brush, Sebastian didn’t say anything as he turned to face the woman of his dreams, _ who died in my dreams; _he just stared at her before opening and closing his mouth. “Uhm, I- uh…” Thankfully, the room was just dark enough for the heat in his cheeks to not be seen by her, at least, he hoped. He was embarrassed for some reason and he doesn’t know exactly why. 

Faye let out a small chuckle but her voice held concern, “Not sleeping well?”

Sebastian scoffed, “I’m lucky to sleep nowadays, this is just one of the more difficult nights to sleep.”

Faye pursed her lips, as she didn’t want to speak out of line. She doesn’t know how to really approach him on this, as she is starting to see these _ feelings _ that she started to feel for him. In order to see him up close, she took a step forward to see his face. He looks different, he looks _ handsome _ . _ Woah, when did he…? _ Shaking her head, “Do you… want to talk about it?”

Flashes of his dream appeared in his mind, this time, he could visibly see Faye in this version, and that made his breathing slow before blinking multiple times. Faye noticed the reaction he gave and silently cursed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Stop,” he demanded before rubbing his eyes to refocus. “It’s not you, it’s the nightmares. They’ve… changed, and that’s what’s keeping me up right now. They aren’t the same, well they are but one significant detail has changed,” he said not looking at her, because if he did, then he might just start sobbing.

The Spartan could make an educated guess as to what details have changed and while she should be flattered that he was dreaming of her, it’s the contents of the dream that have her nervous. If he is dreaming of her in his past events, what does that mean for him? “You don’t have to tell me,” _ even though I want you to _.

“I’d rather not tell you the details before a mission, don’t need you constantly worrying about me, even if you somehow do already,” Sebastian smirked, but the usual glint was absent in his eyes, Faye noticed.

_ I already do worry about you _, is what she wanted to say but what came out was, “One day, Sebastian, one day you’ll be ready to tell someone, even if it’s not me, as long as someone can help ease the burden that lies on your shoulders,” Faye’s hand reached for the free one by Seb’s side.

Sebastian was off in his own world and that’s when he felt her hand in his, even through the armor, he felt a sense of comfort he thought he would never feel again. He thought that part of him died. What he didn’t expect was Faye’s other hand went to his face, where her fingertips brushed his cheeks, “You got rid of it,” she sounded almost… sad?

“Didn’t want to look like a homeless person,” Sebastian said breathlessly. The small touches were just a spark, a dangerous spark that he craved; the little tidbits of intimacy that he has long been deprived of. His thumb ever so slightly running over her knuckles. His free hand reached for her to grab her other hand but stopped before even passing his upper torso. He didn’t pull away but he didn’t make a move either.

“That’s debatable,” Faye commented softly. In fact, she thought he looked better with the slight scruff, made him look older, just a little bit. Faye was enjoying the moment, something she never had time for, enjoying moments. She was glad that this was the first. Plus, his thumb running over her knuckles felt pleasant.

Dove was still on the table and she was silently recording the interaction, a memory, in case something goes wrong. It helps to come prepared. She could feel her Guardian’s thoughts and emotions, and Dove saw the truth in her previous statements. Her Guardian was _ in _ love with her. How the Ghost didn’t make that connection sooner baffles her, but all she could feel was a pang of loneliness.

Sensing the emotion coming from Dove, he turned to see her still sleeping. His free hand curled around her shell and brought her close to his chest, sending warm thoughts of empathy and safety to her. Faye didn’t catch the words Sebastian whispered but she did catch the small smile that graced his lips. This made Faye’s heart flutter, and that felt… welcome. In fact, she wanted that feeling again. She liked seeing that smile on his face. The smile that made his eyes glow.

The moment was perfect, and even so, Sebastian hesitated. He wanted to go for it, consequences be damned, but he knew he wasn't ready, he knew _ she _ wasn't ready for that. Through all this time, their hands were still holding each other’s, and Sebastian felt at peace, more than he was an hour ago.

Sebastian whispered, “I better go. Dove loves when I walk around when I can’t sleep. She says my even footsteps sound ‘soothing to her audio receptors’.”

“They calm me down,” Dove said, slightly slurring her words.

Faye was amazed, speaking softly, “I didn’t think she could _ get _tired.”

“Oh, it’s possible, but that means she needs a good rest, which she’ll get if she powers off for the night,” Sebastian spoke directly to her shell.

“Okay, okay,” Dove said, “Just walk when you’re ready.” Sebastian smiled and Faye took note of how it reached his eyes. Dove’s optic soon faded out and blinked every few seconds.

“I really thought she was more of a robot,” Faye mused but it held curiosity, not ill intent.

Sebastian laughed softly, “Ghosts may be robotic by appearance, but they are also organic in some ways, similar to their Guardians. They are a piece of our souls, considering they bonded to our souls when they brought us back. They can potentially inherit their Guardian’s personality, Dove didn’t, and I’m thankful for that. She’s been my constant companion ever since,” _ maybe you can add to that list. _

Faye smiled at the bond they share, “Go walk, I won’t keep you,” she said before dropping his hand and immediately missing the warmth it provided.

Sebastian thanked her lowly before holding Dove close and exited the room, the battles outside raging on. Faye stayed behind and leaned her forehead on the window. “He really is getting through my shell.”

Sebastian roamed the halls for another hour before finally feeling tired, and at peace for the first time in eight or so years. The moments with Faye make time feel like forever, so when he retired for the night, the small smile never slipped from his face.

* * *

The alarms woke him up from his dream, an actual dream and the details were hazy, but all he knew is that Faye was there. A bang on his door snapped him to attention, “Hey Seven, ready up, you leave in five!” A voice that sounded like Emile’s said.

Seb groaned in protest as he realized that last night he never took off his armor so his body is sore in places that he didn’t think was possible. So, he took off the offending pieces and massages the muscles in question. Upon putting his armor back on, Dove floated in front of him, “When you went back to sleep, how did you feel?”

“Peaceful. No other nightmares, they all were… paradise, in some way,” he explained softly. He then asked for his weapons to do a final check. He also had Dove make sure that all of his weapons were loaded. While he was checking his weapons, he thought about what was happening in his world, how long has it been for them? What’s changed since he’s been gone? Do they even _ know _that he’s missing?

As he finished his checks, he exited the room to see Faye holding up a fist to knock on the door, “Hey,” he whispered.

Seeing the serious look in her eyes, that meant cut the shit, “Come on, Seven, we’re rolling out with the first batch. They need us now,” the business tone in her voice kind of hurt. Did the moment they shared mean nothing? _ That’s not important, Sebastian. What is important is the mission. _

Sebastian brushes by her without another word, and she didn’t fail to notice the small bit of hurt in his eyes, and she brought that upon herself. Faye was scared of what can happen if they _ did _ admit it. She purged those thoughts, for now, right now she has a mission.

She went to the vehicle bay where Kat was leaning on a Warthog, “Over here, Six!”

Faye grabbed an Assault Rifle and Grenade Launcher before heading over, “Am I riding with you?”

“Yep, means we can have an idle chat about you and a certain newbie,” Kat said, grinning like a madwoman.

Faye fought and failed, to keep the blush off her face, and said nothing before sliding her helmet on and hopping in the passenger seat. The whole hangar heard Kat’s boisterous laugh and wondered what brought it out. Sebastian looked to see Faye in a Warthog with crossed arms and sent Kat a look of ‘Do I even want to know?’

At the same moment, Sebastian was tuning his Sparrow, making sure it still works. It appeared in the flourish of pixels that it normally does, which got some looks, but the Guardian paid no mind. He continued to check every little crevice of his vehicle because Amanda would have his ass if he didn’t check the thrusters and engine and the shifters and basically strip it down and put it back together again.

When he was done, his tools transmatted away, as did the Sparrow. He waltzed over to the two ladies and just leaned against the Warthog twirling two Light projected knives, one Solar, one Arc, waiting for the word to roll out.

Auntie Dot’s voice spoke over the loudspeaker, _ “It appears that Noble Team’s discovery last night was not an anomaly. Large Covenant deployments occurred undetected and we are now under attack across the Viery territory, including orbital defenses. As per the Winter Contingency, we are countering on every front. Noble reconnaissance also revealed sophisticated Covenant army hiding canopies and has pinpointed what’s believed to be a landing zone for additional Covenant forces… ,” _

That was the signal to roll out, as all the Marines yelled, “Oorah!” The entire based mobilized. Sebastian let everyone else get a head start before taking off in a dead sprint. When he jumped out the door, his Sparrow materialized under him. He saddled up and hit the thrusters before launching after them. As he went off to follow, his horn, called the Gjallar Horn, could be heard from the base.

As Sebastian caught up with the rest of the UNSC forces, Carter’s voice came over comms, _ “That landing zone has been tagged by UNSC command as a priority one target.” _ Sebastian caught the words and knew that it could be a landing zone or something else.

Jun’s voice followed suit, _ “Det charge link is loud and clear! You’re green for target detonation, Two.” _

Sebastian, at this point, caught up to the ladies’ Warthog and gave a two-finger salute before pushing his overcharge thrusters, boosting just in front of them before coming around to Faye’s side.

Faye was keeping an eye on him because after that moment, she feels like she can’t keep her cool around him, and she thinks of it as a weakness. She doesn’t have weaknesses, so she has to keep this under lock and key. _ But I actually felt _ ** _human_ ** _ for once, more than just a machine. _

_ “Copy that. Acquiring signal lock on the pylon,” _ She pulled the detonator from her chest pocket, _ “Detonating in three. Two…” _In the distance, the explosion was seen and even on the Sparrow, Sebastian smiled. In a flash, plasma rounds started pounding the dirt close by, Sebastian immediately dodged shots from Banshees and some Wraiths, and he responded with countermeasures of his own.

Thanks to Holliday, she modified Sebastian’s Sparrow to have micro rockets come from the sides. To properly aim, Sebastian pulled his Sparrow into the air, thanks to yet another modification, and let the micro rockets do their thing. The Banshees didn’t expect that, and some of their shrapnel plummeted to the ground. Upon landing on the ground, Kat contacted him, _ “When you were going to tell us it could do that?” _

“I get to have my own fancy toys too! It’s what happens when you have two hundred years to tinker with stuff, and when you know a certain mechanic who can do it for the right price,” Sebastian explained whilst dodging shots, even hopping over another Warthog. His horn went off again as he surged forward again. Through his commlink, he was laughing, having a good time. Something he hasn’t had in quite a long time.

There was a bridge ahead, that was the main connecting point for them to rally into the operating area. Sebastian was trailing the Warthog that the ladies were in when a Wraith shot hit the bridge destroying it. Instead of stopping, Kat gunned the Hog before saying, _ “Might want to hold onto something, Six!” _That was the only chance Faye got before snapping out of her stupor. The Warthog lurched over the gap and flipped multiple times, throwing her out of it. She was lying on the ground, feeling concussed, her armor locked up upon impact to prevent the twisting of limbs.

Sebastian, once again, pulled his Sparrow over the gap before landing close behind the flipped Warthog. He jumped off immediately after landing and the Sparrow disappeared, Dove already on top of it. “Faye!” Sebastian yelled to her prone form, “Faye, are you still with me?”

Faye’s head felt like someone took a blunt object and beat her over the head with it, but she was alive. Her suit systems say she has a potential concussion and some bruised ribs, but she’ll live. “I’m good, Seb, just point me to the fight.” 

She gripped one of Sebastian’s hands and she pulled herself up. Even in her armor, he pulled her up with ease. _ Duly noted _ . Once she was up, she grabbed the Grenade Launcher that fell off her back and fired a volley to the Covenant ground forces ahead of her, exploding a Covenant Shade Turret. “Kat, remind me to _ never _ let you drive again.”

“No promises, sister,” Faye was certain that Kat was smiling under her helmet, she knows her driving is terrible and yet she drives the vehicle. Heaven forbid she gets a tank.

Sebastian watched her fight like normal, _ good. _ Even the name ‘Seb’ slipped, so he knows their moment got to her too. However, she needs to focus, and he does too, considering the fact he just saw a plasma shot fly close to his face. He ducked behind a rock and requested his Hung Jury. He needed some range on them, and the sight on it is perfect. Along with a couple of surviving Marines, they took the area and laid claim to it. The background battles were fierce and a lot of death and destruction were present. How bloody has this war been? How bloody will it get?

_ “Kat, Six, Seven, be advised, ONI has identified hostile Anti-Aircraft guns southwest of your location. Acknowledge?” _

Faye put a hand on her radio, “Copy Commander. Seven, get on the gun. Two, slide over, I’m driving this time, let’s go get those guns,” Faye ordered, hopping in the brand new Warthog that seemingly appeared in front of them. In actuality, a Pelican dropped it off while Sebastian was looking off in the distance. Sebastian climbed onto the turret and checked the ammo. One of the Marines was giving instructions, and he obliged him, but Seb has used much more primitive weapons before. After all, his weapons have elemental damage on them, something he takes pride in. He finds Solar weapons for work well on Covenant flesh.

Once Sebastian was given clearance, the Warthog lunged forward and he held onto the grips of the turret. No other words were exchanged until Carter came on to comms again, _ “You three should have visual contact on the AA gun.” _

A strike team joined the channel, _ “Two Lima Four to Noble One. Those guns are pounding us with high-velocity plasma shells.” _

_ “Noble Team, none of our markers can make the run without a high risk of being shot down. You’re on your own until then.” _

“Copy that, Commander,” Kat answered before hopping out of the Warthog. “You two distract them, I’ll find a way to take out that AA gun.”

“My recommendation, the power core. Find that, you have a primer,” Sebastian suggested. Faye agreed with that before she drove onwards and Sebastian was whooping, having the time of his life. He’s always wanted to shoot those defense turrets in the Tower but they’d never let him. This chaingun on this Warthog was a close second and he’d take it. The Jackals were mowed down, and so were the Grunts, their armor no match against the power of the machine turret. The Elites that we’re present got a present as well; Kat’s knife in their necks.

“Kat? Need some help with the gun?” Faye asked after the enemies were dead, her fingers tapping the wheel as Kat tried to figure out how to ‘safely’ disable it. Sebastian, meanwhile, was leaning on the turret, checking his cloak to make sure there aren’t any holes it. Correction, that there aren’t any _ more _ holes in it.

Sebastian decided to be a nice guy and use a small flicker of his Light to form an incendiary grenade. Simple, but effective. He hopped off the gun, walked inside, stood next to Kat, put a hand on her shoulder pad, and tossed the grenade in the power core. He then pulled Kat along with him to be away from the explosion radius.

“I wanted to study that!” Kat complained as she followed Sebastian.

Faye chuckled hearing the complaints from her Spartan sister, it was pretty entertaining actually. They hopped back into their respective places and continued along the path.

_ “Control this is Two Lima Four. Permission to commence bombing run. Heading two two four-point six, over?” _Control gave them permission to open fire as Noble Team got clear. Sebastian turned the turret around to watch the fireworks and they were beautiful. Something about the violet flames makes it have beauty in destruction. Wait, no, that’s the Gjallarhorn’s thing, but it was a close second, maybe third.

_ “Stop sightseeing, Seb, we got Covies up ahead!” _ Faye yelled from the driver’s seat, and he heard her on his feed, courtesy of Dove having tapped into said feeds, specifically Noble’s feeds so no one would be asking questions.

Sebastian turned the gun and started pouring rounds out into the Ghost, a Covenant Ghost, that decided to join the party. A few hundred rounds to the grill and it made quick work of it. After that Ghost was taken out, they crossed the bridge to come up on the next objective.

_ “Six, you’re coming up on a mining facility, help the Marines take it over. The Covenant has decided to use it as a command center. Help them take it over,” _ Carter ordered. Faye didn’t respond and parked the Hog by a cliff edge and hopped out. Kat followed close behind while sparing a glance back to Sebastian.

Without words, Sebastian has a perfect line of sight on the Covenant forces and began to mow them down, starting with the one in the turret. He loves this gun and he honestly wants to take it with him, but alas it’s bolted to the vehicle. Faye and Kat were already across the bridge, taking out the Covenant stragglers and they were waiting on Sebastian. _ “All clear over here, Seven. Come on over.” _

Letting go of the turret and hopping out of the Hog, his fingers were tense and they wanted to curl in on themselves, _ guess that’s what happens when you grip these things too hard, _ he thought to himself. Sebastian motioned for his Sparrow and Dove delivered. “Are you alright?” she asked her Guardian.

“I’m better than I was before, Dove. Not perfect, but I’m not terrible either. Were you monitoring both of us last night?” Seb mumbled before taking off and crossing the bridge, catching up with the ladies.

Dove sheepishly admitted that she was and Sebastian wanted to know how much. “Enough to know that your tension is hitting its peak.”

Sebastian was about to retort but Auntie Dot came through with some important information, _ “Survivor accounts say that a high-value target is here, an Elite Zealot.” _

Carter replied, _ “Eyes on the prize, Noble. Only take it out if you get the chance, but keep moving towards the Spire.” _

No one else spoke as they ascended up the mining facility steps, taking out Skirmishers and other assorted Covenant foot soldiers. Moving up, silently, killing any Grunts or Jackals in the way. “Dove, pulse the area, check for hostile forces,” Sebastian asked his Ghost. She compiled and was about to give a warning when Faye stepped in the way of the shot. It impacted against her shields, but it was a powerful round.

Sebastian immediately responded with putting a few rounds through the Jackal’s skull. It dropped where it stood. Faye brushes off the remnants of the round before turning around to Sebastian, “That was meant for you, it felt heavier,” she said before stifling a yawn. _ Wait, a yawn? I’m not even tired yet, I’ve barely even started today... _

Immediately, Dove took a scan of the needle and she found nothing, which worried her, “Strange, there is literally no reference to this drug, but whatever it is, it would have put you in a coma if it hits you, Sebastian. Luckily the yawning for you, Madame Spartan, is the worst thing that’ll happen to you. This was meant for my Guardian, they wanted to-” Dove cut herself off, and she buried her shell into Sebastian’s chest, at a speed that made him go _ ummph _.

“Relax, Dove, it’s dead, come on, we gotta focus. So anything that was similar in that needle? Something that it can be compared to?” Her Guardian asked.

“No, you don’t understand, I couldn’t find _ any _comparison, to our world or theirs, it’s like it doesn’t exist,” Dove explained. Sebastian tensed while slowly pacing. Multiple possibilities popped up in his mind, and none of them pleasant. Faye also tended at the thought of Sebastian’s safety being compromised. If the Elites get him, then she might never see him again.

Kat interrupted both of their thoughts, but directed her words to Sebastian, “A question for another day, Seven. We have an HVT to silence.” Kat took a final scan of Faye and found the needle round didn’t affect her now, it was just meant for non-augmented personal, they are _ really _ after him now and it seems they will do anything necessary to get him. This is concerning, Kat realizes. 

Dove, meanwhile, didn’t leave his side at all, she actually hid in one of his pouches of all places, phasing right now wasn’t an option, she wanted to stay close to her Guardian, she wanted contact, something that lets her know he’s here. The pocket dimension that she normally goes to is barren now.

Normally, she would see other Ghosts there and have idle conversations, but when she got there, there was nothing, no other Ghosts, no other friendly faces, it was like they never existed. She really misses having other Ghosts to interact with, and being in this world feels cold and void of all life. Hence why she’s currently, in lack of a better term, snuggling with her Guardian.

Back in the present, Sebastian was dealing with Grunts who think they are all high and mighty with those plasma turrets. Sebastian would peek around the corner to then have to hide because the Grunt would just blindly fire at the corner.

Sensing the bond with Dove feeling troubled, he reached into his pouch with one hand to uncover her, “Little Light, you alright?”

Dove didn’t respond until he just pushed her emotions onto her Guardian. Seb didn’t expect the waves of agony leaking from his Ghost. Switching positions with Kat, “Dove, talk to me.”

Dove’s voice hopped and glitched, “I-I’m so alone here. T-There’s nobody in phase. I’m scared, Sebby, I-“

Sebastian put Hung Jury on his sling and sent Light through his fingertips, trace amounts, to calm his Ghost. Whispering to her, “I know. I know you miss him too, he was perfect for you, I royally screwed up that day and I still won’t forgive myself until you’re happy.”

Dove just curled her fins inward and sighed at feeling the Light course through her being. It felt refreshing. 

“Now I need to get by that turret, so stay with me, little bird, just stay with me,” Sebastian cooed to his Ghost. 

Faye inquired, “Can you do that invisible thing? What did you call it?”

“Stalker, and maybe, but only for a few seconds. My Exhaustion may have settled for now but I don’t know the limits here. Pushing them multiple times is a sure-fire way to death row,” Sebastian said before going invisible and sneaking around the corner and standing right next to the singular Grunt and uncloaking. “Boo,” he said spooking the Grunt before stabbing it, giving it a quick death. “Clear!” he shouted before the Spartans came through.

“We need to find a way to replicate that, seriously,” Kat said, still amused that he can do that.

“I’ve told you that it’s impossible to recreate unless you become a Guardian, and based on your love for intelligence, you’d be a Warlock, I’d bet my money on it,” Sebastian pointed a finger at Kat.

“Okay, try me, what would I be?” Faye was actually curious as to if she was in his world, what would she be?

Without a second’s hesitation, “Hunter, easy. Your stealthy approach and predator like demeanor would suit the Hunter lifestyle. Everyone else on Noble, well, I have my guesses.”

As the trio advanced through the structure, the sound of an Elite’s roar was heard. Upon turning the corner, Faye leading, she let some of her DMR do the talking. She took down some of the lower-tier units. The Zealot Elite turned at the sound of the first gunshot and once its eyes saw Sebastian, it snarled. A snarl of this kind was an order, capture.

“Man, they just don’t give up do they?” Sebastian questioned as he started his own shooting gallery, killing everything but the Elite. “Well, it seems angry.”

Angry indeed, as it started firing on Sebastian, some of the rounds impacting his armor. He flinched at the plasma burning his skin, hissing to prevent a cry of pain, and returning fire. Even with help from Kat and Faye, its shields were still flaring but not dying.

Sebastian conversed with Dove, asking if using a little more Light would work. Dove warned him to not go overboard when summoning the Light.

The Solar Light flared, at a slower rate than he normally would, basically walking on eggshells with the power creep. His Golden Gun flared in his hand, making it seem like a bright star appeared out of nowhere. Sebastian aimed and Elite roared in pure malice. It continued to fire shots and some of them hitting Seb but not enough to knock him out or kill him. Sebastian’s gingerly squeezed the trigger and forced his Light into one bullet.

Then, he fired, not at the Elite no, but the fuel tank it happened to be standing next to. The resulting explosion was nothing short of glorious. The Elite’s body flew through the air with little grace. The others died in the explosion instantly. The body of the Zealot landed in front of the three Spartans. In its finals words, it still sent shivers down his spine, **“You will be hunted until you are captured. These Demons will not save-“** it was cut off as Kat fired a Magnum round through its mandibles.

“Well, that confirms that theory,” Sebastian commented. “They are going to do their damndest to get me, not the first time something has tried, but… since the SIVA crisis, my outlook on this is never bright,” he continued as he leaned down to inspect the now deceased Sangheili.

Immediately after finishing his inspection, Sebastian’s Light faded flickered out and he waited for the exhaustion to hit him again because it was a _ lot _ of Light, more than he intended to use. “Strange, I don’t _ feel _exhausted,” and moved to stand and immediately winced, falling back against the rocks, “but I was shot though. Dove? A little help?”

Dove began her work healing the burns in his Iron Banner armor and on his skin. Most of his armor is mismatched pieces with a shaded attached to match. Most of his person was covered in armor but the majority of it was the random materials he had brought along with him and those were the areas he was hit. There were at least half a dozen blisters, all red and irritated. Dove swears she could see steam rising off them.

Faye reached out a hand and put it on his shoulder, looking him in the eyes through his visor, even though it was still polarized. While Dove was zapping him with healing Light Sebastian slowly clutched her hand with his opposite hand, sending physical reassurance. Meanwhile, Kat was smiling at the two. Jun may have been right, Six and Seven might just make Eight if given the opportunity.

Once Faye was satisfied, she removed the hand from his shoulder, well she tried. His grip tightened for a few seconds before finally letting go. _ Damn it, why is it so hard to tell her? _

“Come on you two, Carter is saying the next AA gun is up ahead. We need to get moving. Six, take point. Seven, follow her. I’ll check our six,” Kat ordered. Faye gave a firm nod. Sebastian just gave a two-finger salute, stood up, and followed after Faye. Kat checked the area once more before meeting up with them, where Carter told the team that scans have revealed yet another Covenant AA gun.

* * *

“So tell me the plan again, I need a refresher,” Noble Two said to the male Hunter. Like, she gets the plan, she understands the plan, but it doesn’t mean it is going to be easy, but executing the plan would prove to be much more difficult.

“We do the same thing as we did to the first one, secure an LZ, and head onwards to the next objective, whatever it is,” Seb explained shrugging his shoulders.

“I mean, yeah it sounds simple, but when is it ever honestly?” Kat asked, making a valid point. If it is simple, then something is bound to go wrong. It always does.

“Don’t be pessimistic,” Faye chided. “We take careful steps into this, don’t go rushing in, and we take it down. Local scans show two Wraiths and a lot of Jackals. Those Wraiths only have to get lucky once, so keep moving.”

“Hey hey hey, I’m just making sure, and Kat’s right, something simple can go horribly wrong. I made the mistake of thinking something was easy and it cost me,” Sebastian said, rubbing his shoulder. The two females shared a knowing look, believing that he’s not joking. Faye still wants to know what happened, and that burning curiosity is one of many reasons why she wants to be around him.

Taking this on foot, Sebastian slowly approached the area before rushing to a tall rock on the west side before the Spartans were in position behind him at the previous rock. “Why am I the one doing this again?”

Dove responded, “Because you complained about it, now you have to board the Wraith.”

“Fine, can I still go Stalker?” Sebastian asked a habit he has to keep asking because dealing with Exhaustion sucks.

“Yeah, it’s weird, you can basically use your full abilities, so stalk away,” Dove replied. His Light has charged again and while it _ is _ a good thing, it boils down to the why. Why is he suddenly able to use his full abilities again? Dove also has a theory, but there is just no possible way that it’s true.

Sebastian only carried Ironwreath as he approached the Wraith. He jumped on the back of the engines, behind the Wraith, and stick a trip mine to it, and now he had to book it. He was visible by the fifth step and he promptly spotted right after. That didn’t matter in the end, because as the Wraith was about to fire, it exploded. _ That was a fast thirty seconds. _

Not only did he have to dodge plasma shots and mortars, but also the natural obstacles, like tree roots and such. Once making it behind a nice comfy rock, he took a deep breath before getting spooked by bug looking creatures, nothing like he’s ever seen before.

They chittered and he spoke, “Uhm, Faye? Kat? What are these bug looking things? They’re kinda looking at me funny, they seem to want to-woah!” Sebastian didn’t get to finish as one of them wrapped around his leg, another his right arm, and the third one on his leg. His weapon fell to the ground as he was jolted up into the air.

Faye was stunned for a split second, the Drones never tried to do anything like that. Kat was in the same boat as her Spartan sister. Sebastian didn’t scream, but he did struggle. His free arm was able to reach for a knife and stab the one holding his leg. It died from the wound as he aimed for the head.

The second drone died similarly to the first, with a stab wound to the head. Now, he just dangling by his arm. The good news is that it wasn’t by his left arm. They thankfully went for the right arm. Using the mechanism on his arm, he fired a few knives into the drone, it didn’t kill it, as the knives only just pierced the skin, but it did mean that Sebastian was falling; from a height higher than he thought and he was falling fast. It may have been a little higher than the AA gun, so Sebastian was going to hit the ground. _ “Can’t you jump?” _ Faye asked, sounding a little more concerned than she probably should be.

Since Sebastian was a little busy falling, he didn’t respond, nicking the edge of the AA gun itself before tumbling down it and landing hard. Sebastian heard some cracks and his breathing stopped, but he was alive. When he landed, it knocked the wind out of him. He clutched and pounded on his chest to hopefully get himself breathing again. Suffocation is not a pleasant way to go; Sebastian had heard an Awoken Huntress be trapped in a cave on Nessus years back and suffocated thirty-something times in a row. Or was it drowning? Either way, it’s not a pleasant way to die. 

Faye was by his side in an instant, after killing a couple more Jackals. She looked into his helmet to see if she has permission. Sebastian gave a weak nod before Faye socked him in the chest, harder than necessary, but the resulting crunch of his chest actually allowed him to breathe, weakly, but he was no longer choking on nothing. “T-Thanks,” he muttered.

“I want you to know that Drones have never done that to anyone. Drones will normally claw their victims apart, so that display means even _ they _ have orders to take you,” Faye said, resting a hand on his chest, lightly.

Sebastian reached up with a hand of his own and laid it on top of hers. “Sorry to interrupt the moment,” Dove appeared, “but I need to repair his ribcage and make sure he doesn’t die from an impacted rib to the heart.”

The Guardian, reluctantly, removed his hand, as did the Spartan, and Dove scanned his entire chest. “New record, Sebastian. Thirty separate fractures, seven different splits, and one -no two- shattered ribs.” Looking to Faye, “How hard did you hit him, Madame Spartan?”

“I don’t know, honestly,” she mumbled feeling just a _ little _ bit bad about it. Truth is, she wanted to hit him from when she first met him, she finally got to. Now, she wants to shield him from this kind of pain. _ Wait, did I just- _

“Hell yeah, a new record!” Sebastian shouted with a little _ too _ much glee, sitting up after Dove finished her healing. Sebastian knocked his helmet against her fins in a _ thank you _ motion.

Faye immediately blurted out, “What are you, a masochist?”

“That would mean I like my own pain in a sexual manner, but I have a running joke with other Hunters to see who can break the most bones and still live,” he said simply. Faye only stared at him with a look of horror under her helmet. _ What the hell is he into? _ Noticing the silence, he apologized, “Sorry, forgot you aren’t a Guardian. At least now, I can brag about it, _ if I get back to my home,” _ he said the last part under his breath, _ but do I want to go back? _“Anyway, is the area clear or do we still have hostiles?”

“Save for the one Elite, who we can’t get a good angle on,” Faye said. Seeing him nod his head before standing up and unclipping his sword from his belt, she grabbed his wrist, “What do you think you’re doing, Sebastian?”

“What does it look like? I’m getting you that angle,” he said before wrenching his wrist away from her firm grip. Activating his sword and standing just outside the AA gun’s corridor. He whistled and the Elite peeked its eye around the corner before snarling at the Guardian.

Sebastian rolled his eyes underneath his helmet and beckoned the Elite to come closer. The Sangheili warrior drew his blade and rushed Sebastian. _ Big mistake. _ The Elite was stopped by bullets to its shield, but not from Sebastian. The two ladies had punctured its shields before Sebastian rushed it and activated the sword right next to the Elite’s torso. The blade protruded through it with ease, before Sebastian shoved it off the blade and it lay dead.

Without another word, he summoned another Incendiary grenade before doing the same thing to the first AA Gun. Carter’s voice, once again, came over comms, _ “Nice work, Noble, clear an LZ and we’ll have a Falcon swing by to get you to the Spire.” _

“Oh, that’s just fantastic, there’s a Spire?! Fantastic,” he muttered before retrieving Hung Jury off the ground. As he went to pick it up, his arm clicked, and a jolt of pain went straight through his nerves. “Oh, Traveler’s ass, now?! Dove?”

“That fall must have twisted a binding loose, hold on,” Dove said as she sent a beam through his arm and took care of the offending issues before Seb rolled his arm again, and felt comfort return.

“You got it on standby?” He asked softly.

“Only when you need it, Guardian,” she replied back, just as soft. Her shell giving a few clicks.

“Covenant, inbound!” A Marine said. When did they get here? Sebastian had blanked out for a few moments, and he had a feeling both of the accompanying Spartans were watching him during his minor fiasco. Well, one kinda knows while the other has suspicions. _ Might soon be confirmed if everything lines up. _

Sebastian silently requested Hakkon’s to be summoned and so it was in his hands a moment later. He still has to have a lengthy chat with her after he gets a break. It will most likely be a rough one. The Hunter sprayed down the footsoldiers he could see, swapping magazines like how some would clean, quick and efficient. Within mere moments, the area was secure and the Falcons were descending to the ground. Sebastian is most certainly not a Spartan because his muscles ache like nothing he’s ever felt before. Maybe next time, he won’t complain about sitting still for so long, he’d take that over this in some cases.

* * *

Having boarded the Falcon, Sebastian let the Marine fire the grenade launcher turret, while Faye took another one. Right now, he needed a second to breathe. His muscles are tense and are in need of a warm bath, _ something _ to stretch and soothe them. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t get that. Once they were clear of Covenant, Faye sat next to Sebastian, switching seats with a Marine.

“Are you going to tell me what happened, or do you want me to guess?” she asked softly, just barely audible, but he caught it, the _ concern _. He smiled under the helmet, before chuckling and shaking his head.

“I’ve told you not to overly concern yourself with me. It’s just another thing I have to sort out by myself,” he said back, just as softly as he looked to his right. Jorge, across from them, both was and wasn’t watching the exchange. He shook his head before paying attention to the battles happening before him. Jorge had a small inkling feeling that _ something _ was happening with them.

Sebastian’s hand was resting in between them, and Faye took a chance. Spartans don’t get many chances to make their own choices. Her hand rested in his, and he let it stay, even squeezing it for comfort. _ So she does remember, that moment wasn’t a fluke. _

His heart was beating a lot faster than normal, that feeling of warmth, it engulfed his whole being, even more than the fire coating when he’s in his Gunslinger’s Trance. Even though the sounds of the Falcon and the booms in the background were loud, Faye could just _ barely _ hear him humming.

He was humming a song that would have fit the moment perfectly, from memory, having only heard it once. He didn’t know the name of it, but he would always remember the tune. Dove was sitting in his lap, his fingers tracing the outer fins of her shell, eliciting a soft sigh from his companion.

Jorge, unfortunately, had to break the tender moment, and a tender one it was, “We’re coming up on the Spire you two, get ready.”

Both of them snapped to attention and just like that, the moment was gone. Dot’s voice projected amongst the cabin, _ “Latest intel suggests that this Spire may be projecting electromagnetic cloaking shields.” _

Jorge gave his override, “Priority One, pilot. We got to know what’s in there.”

_ “Affirmative sir. Here we go,” _the pilot said. Sebastian ordered Dove to hide for now. He doesn’t know what an electromagnetic charge can do to a Ghost, and he doesn’t want to find out either. She should be safe for now in her own dimension.

As soon as they passed through the shields, the Falcon started to plummet out of the air. The pilot was shouting they were going down and to brace for a hard landing. _ Well, no shit dude, what did you think was going to happen if you passed through an electromagnetic shield? _

Sebastian took a chance and before the Falcon hit the ground, he leaped from it, landing in a small stream. He turned to see the Falcon land on its side, and Faye was ejected from the cabin. Sebastian had already started making his way over there to check on them. Faye was just getting up as he reached her. “You alright?”

“You need to stop jumping from things, Seb,” she whispered.

“It probably won’t be the last thing I jump out of,” he said jokingly. A thump hit the ground, both looking to see Jorge’s chaingun on the floor, “Well, the gentle, not so gentle, giant lives.”

Scoffing, Jorge heft himself over the tipped Falcon and picks up his weapon, “Crew’s dead, we shouldn’t stay here. We have to get to the Spire.”

“I’m fine too, thanks for asking, Sebastian,” Dove mock scolded.

Sebastian felt heat rush to his cheeks in embarrassment, “Sorry, little bird. I didn’t know if I would able to contact you when we passed through the shield.”

“Only two things can stop us from communicating, Seb, and you know it,” she reminded him. Sebastian knows them well and simply nods.

Faye ignored their interaction, and grabbed an Assualt Rifle from a Marine, they won’t be using it anymore. Her DMR somehow managed to stay on her back through the fall. She reloaded both of her weapons, scavenged some ammo and checked the ridgeline behind her but found nothing. Seb also looked but swears he saw a glimmer of something, but he chalked it up to a reflection of the shield or the sun.

From where they were, all three of them began picking off Skirmishers and Grunts before moving up towards the Spire. They needed to do this quick, otherwise, they will have lost this chance.

Not much was said on their way to the base of the Spire, but Seb kept stealing glances at Faye. His recurring dilemma is what holds him back, but hopefully, his message that he has will explain it, and hopefully, he may never need it.

“Banshee inbound!” Jorge warned the other two. Sebastian saw it was aiming right at him and it fired its bomb. The projectile travels fast, but he used that to his advantage. It hit the ground behind him and he jumped as soon as the bomb hit the ground, sending him at just the right angle to latch onto the Banshee. On instinct, he ripped open the hatch and stabbed the Elite, before hopping it in himself. Its controls felt like a Sparrow’s, so him flying it was surprisingly _ easy _.

“Probably should take that back, Jorge,” Faye joked, nudging the elder Spartan’s arm.

“Look at you making a joke, Six. Never thought I’d see the day you would _ willingly _ make a joke,” he teased right back as he was mowing down Jackals and Grunts alike.

“Don’t get used to it, Five, we still have a job to do,” Faye replied as the Banshee that Sebastian hijacked, threw bomb after bomb at the Covenant, killing a majority of the forces in the area. He brought the Banshee down right next to Faye, before hopping out.

“How did you know how to fly that, Seven?” Jorge questioned, rightfully so.

Almost in a trance, “I...do not really know. I just… it felt really similar to my Sparrow. Buttons matched up, the flight controls similar…”

Jorge grunted, “Come on you two, you have to disable the shield at the top.” Jorge put a hand to his helmet as Sebastian and Faye headed up the gravity lift at the base of the Spire. “Noble Leader, Six and Seven are on their way up.”

_ “Get in there and takeout that shield generator. We are en route with a Falcon for exfil. Once we get clear, we have a UNSC frigate cleared to blow that Spire sky-high. Move it, you two,” _ Carter demanded.

_ “Ready when you are,” _Jorge commented. As they ascended opposite lifts, Sebastian drew his Energy Sword, Faye drew her knives. They both silently agreed to do this stealthily. AS they reached the top, Faye’s radar enhancement stretched the entire floor, seeing only two Elites and a small squad of Grunts. Sebastian went invisible, as he reached the top floor, and snuck out one of the doors leading to the shield controls. Faye went the opposite direction and they would meet in the middle. She kept to the wall and when a Grunt went through the archway, she grabbed it by its neck before snapping it. The other Grunts were spooked. The Elites took it as them acting normally. Any sort of loud or sudden noise frightens them, but they were wrong.

Sebastian drove his Sword through the Elite’s back, taking Ironwreath and killing the other Grunts. The sidearm making only a _ ping ping _ sound. The other Elite turned to see Sebastian and from where he stood, he could see the Elite’s eyes widen before Faye tackled it and stabbed it in its mandibles. The Elite gargled on its own blood before giving a death rattle. “Well executed,” he complimented her.

Faye said nothing as she pressed only a few commands into the console to disable the shield. Once that was done, they both turned and ran out the main door and the Falcon pulled up to float alongside the Spire’s platform. Sebastian gave Faye a little more push with her jump. Jorge still reached his hand and pulled her up. Sebastian also jumped, using his double jump to grasp the bar right over the cabin and pulled himself in and sat right behind the turret.

Once both of them were inside the Falcon, Carter order the pilot to get them the hell out of there. “Control, this is Noble One. Spire One is green and you’re free to engage. Have a nice day!”

_“Copy that, Noble One. Be advised, all ground units, Frigate 318 heavy is inbound and MAC rounds _**_have_** _been authorized,” _the radio gave their declaration for the use of their heavy armaments.

“MAC rounds?! In atmosphere?” Jorge exclaimed. His helmet was on and judging from the tone of his voice, Sebastian would bet some glimmer that his face is mostly in shock.

“One way to get their attention, hang onto your teeth people!” Carter warned as everyone in the Falcon grabbed onto handle positioned right next to their seats.

As if on cue, the frigate flew by Noble’s Falcon and the words _ ‘UNSC Grafton’ _ flew by. The rumbling in the air came next. From the _ Grafton, _ the MAC round fired and obliterated the Spire. Sebastian smiled, but it was short-lived. An eerie feeling took over and he screamed into comms, “UNSC Grafton, evasive maneuvers, now!”

The warning as received but they couldn’t do anything as a solid beam of plasma descended upon the _ Grafton _. It blew it to pieces in a matter of seconds.

“No... No NO! Someone tell me this isn’t happening!” Jorge exclaimed in horror, with a mix of shock under his helmet.

_ “UNSC Frigate Grafton, do you copy?” _ Control asked over comms as Faye was inspecting the damage as they flew away. That wasn’t a normal ship, it was a Covenant Supercarrier.

Carter replied, “The Grafton is dust! We need to get out of here now!”

Sebastian peeked out of the Falcon to see the giant Covenant ship looming in the upper troposphere. As he regarded the ship, he felt warm, something that only happens when… “That’s impossible. Dove? Do you feel-”

“Yes, I do. It… is it-” she muttered.

“I’m not making assumptions, Dove, and you shouldn’t either. Come on, they are going to need us,” he whispered. He sat back in the seat, just gazing out over the battlefield of where he just was. It was at this time, his muscles were complaining at its loudest setting. He felt fatigued and just needed a nap. Yawing and stretching, he felt his muscles pop and his spine stretched, giving him temporary relief. “So, what now?”

It was silent for the rest of the trip, everyone was absorbing the silence. Faye was gritting her teeth and right now, she wanted to hold Sebastian’s hand. These _ feelings _ for him are becoming more than just a comradery. They are feelings of affection and she doesn’t know _ how _ to feel about them. All these sensations were foreign to the female Spartan, and the weirdest part…

_ She craved those feelings. _


	12. The Fall

Silence reigned through all of Noble Team. No one said anything because they didn’t _ know _ what _ to _ say. The Covenant glassed the Grafton like it was paper mache. The name of the ship was the Covenant Class Supercarrier _ Long Night of Solace _. Dove had found the name, searching through the files they had on the ship. One of them snatched the name. 

Sebastian was barely paying attention as his eyes drooped, he really needed to rest; his body still aching from earlier. While he was still in the Falcon, he continued to muse about what could possibly be up there on that carrier. Sebastian doesn’t know if he wants to find out, but hearing Dot’s voice brought him out of it. _ “Our foes were more devious than we imagined. That Spire was indeed a teleporter linked to a cloaked Covenant Supercarrier, a grave threat. Thankfully, help is imminent. Sixty percent of the UNSC fleet is en route to Reach from existing deployments. The first battle group should arrive within forty-eight hours.” _Once she was done speaking, they entered a cave for temporary shelter.

Sebastian was about to complain, but Jun beat him to the punch, “Forty-eight hours?!” Mid-sentence he took off his helmet, “_ That’s _imminent?” Jun’s eyes locked to the front of the cave entrance. They had to buckle down here for the time being. Jun scrapped some debris off of Jorge’s armor. The sniper scoffed, “Who’s your money on this time?”

“Her,” Jorge shrugged before he pulled his helmet.

“You always pick _ her _,” Jun replied. Sebastian could see that this was a recurring conversation between these two. Unfortunately, his body demanded rest. So, he slugged himself off into a dark corner of the cave and pretended to be the brooding Guardian he is.

“Hmmph, she’s always had him dialed in,” they all look to the front were Kat was arguing to Carter about taking out that carrier.

“That thing’s crushing us and we’re waiting for _ backup _? They’ll be backing up a graveyard,” she pestered him. Covenant Supercarriers are deadly and the only way to really take them down was with nukes.

“All our nukes are either out system or went down with the ships that carried them,” he gave her a look of sternness, “You’re preaching to the converted.”

“How converted?” Kat asked with a sly look on her face.

It was obvious to the commanding officer, “I know that look, Kat.”

“You can say n-”

“No,” Carter shut her down. Sebastian would have laughed had he not found this talk a little bit boring. That he demanded sleep, but he wasn’t going to say it in front of a bunch of Spartans who don’t really _ need _ sleep, unlike him, a non-augmented soldier.

“You don’t even want to hear it?” the Spartan offered.

With a low grunt and shifting of his body, he leaned forward, “...Fine, I’ll hear it.”

“Remember that accident a couple of years back? A colony ship en route to Cygnus? Seven hundred dead?” Kat asked her commander. Sebastian now was interested in the conversation. What does a colony ship have to do with a Supercarrier?

Carter replied, “Vaguely. A slip-space drive malfunction, right?”

Kat, ever the brainiac corrected him, “Actually it worked fine. The drive was mounted improperly after a service haulout. When it fired… it teleported half the ship to oblivion.”

Faye also took interest in the conversation, standing opposite of where Sebastian was. Her visor reflecting the little light that his armor gave off. She turned back to the conversation, “And this is relevant… how?”

Kat ranted off the reason, “A certain Covenant Supercarrier could, with some assistance, suffer the same unfortunate accident…” Sebastian whistled lowly from the back. _ The woman has some guts, he’ll give her that. _The only reason Sebastian can hear them is Dove listening in on the conversation and relaying it back to him.

Carter’s face remained impassive, but his eyes told a different story, “Even for you, Kat, that’s-”

She cut him off, “Inspired?” There was a hopeful vibe to that statement. She was probably the type to get in trouble for wiretapping.

A small chuckle escaped him, “That is not the word I’d use.”

Sebastian, at this moment, got up to see what all the chitchat was about. His body, once again, made its complaints, but they would have to wait for just a little longer. Jorge had entered the conversation, “What’s going on?”

Neither of the former spoke until Carter gave her permission, “Go ahead. Explain.”

Kat immediately reached for a knife from Emile, his kukri. Emile’s hand covered Kat’s, “May I?”

Emile let his hand drop while Kat unsheathed the blade, “Don’t cut yourself.”

Kat bent to her knees as she drew into the sand with the blade, “Objective? Destroy Covenant Carrier in geosynchronous orbit above us.” Sebastian was looking over Jun’s shoulder at her diagram. He honestly couldn’t make sense of it and he’s read Eliknsi writing before. He could make a better sense of that and he can’t even _ read _ their language.

Jorge leaned over to Cater and whispered, “This sanctioned, sir?” Sebastian already knew the answer but he’d rather let the Spartans have this one.

Carter asked, rhetorically might Sebastian say, “What do you think?”

“Oh,” was the big lug’s reply. It took a lot more will to not have an outburst right now. Sanction doesn’t really exist for Hunters, they do what they want when they want. If people tried to put Hunters under a restriction… it wouldn’t go well, because they would find a way around it, like everything else. 

Kat continued explaining her plan, “Method? A slip-space drive in lieu of the nukes we don't have. Delivery system? Us. Solvable? Getting us up there. That, and getting our hands on a slip-space drive.” She tossed the kukri in the air and gripped it by the blade before offering it to Emile, “Thank you for sharing.” Wordlessly, he wipes it on his armor before sheathing it.

Carter then asked the obvious question, “So...all we need is orbit-capable transport and the single most expensive piece of equipment made by man?” _ Well, when you put it like that, Carter… it becomes more and more impossible. _

However, Kat has a solution, “As a soldier in the field I couldn't possibly have access to those kinds of resources- that said, a good place to look might be, “she clicks her tongue, “Oh, I don't know, the nearest nonexistent launch site in the nonexistent Sabre Program, dismissed by three administrations as preposterous rumor... And in which our newest member was certainly never a pilot.” _ I stand corrected. _

Everyone, including Sebastian, looked at Faye like she was a spectacle at a circus. Okay, maybe just Sebastian. _ She knows how to kill, clean weapons, be a badass, has some concern for me, _ ** _and_ ** _ fly a ship, judging by the emphasis that was put on it. I guess I picked right. _“How long did it take you to find that out, Kat?” Faye asked. Sebastian was actually curious too.

“Hmm, two years ago, but I kept it to myself, for obvious reasons,” Kat replied before looking off over the ridge.

Emile then spoke the truth. His words directed right at Kat, “You're scary, you know that?”

Choosing to ignore him, “All we need is a green light from Holland.”

Sebastian recognized the name, “Wait, that really old guy who was really off-putting to me?”

Faye decided to spare him, while Emile teased Sebastian about his old age, again. “Yes, the very one. So try not to say anything stupid this time,” she nudged his shoulder. Sebastian just grumbled before staying silent.

Carter scoffed, “Good luck with that one Kat.” Unfortunately for the commander, Kat had a plan for her plan. She held out a datapad in between them both.

Kat was smirking now, “I won’t need luck because you're the one asking him.”

Carter grabbed the datapad, walked between the team before pressing a few buttons, “Oh, there's no way in hell he's gonna go for this.”

Sebastian, seeing the conversation was over, went back to the dark corner of the cave before taking off his chest piece, cloak, and one gauntlet. He laid the cloak over the chest and settled for leaning against the wall. A black, skin-tight suit, clung to his body and defined his muscles. Yes, he actually has them; in fact, every Guardian has them, even the females. It makes them look much more feminine, in an odd, space magic way. It makes the males look firm and somewhat intimidating to those inside the City.

Faye took her leave and did a quick check around the area. The Covenant shouldn’t find them here, not until they are ready to move out. That and Faye can’t get him out of her head. She remembers every little detail about their moment they shared on the observation deck. She wanted more from it. She doesn’t know which way to go about it.

She turned around to see him leaned against the wall, sleeping. His chest was going up and down, in a steady rhythm. Then, Dove was suddenly next to her, “Madame Spartan.”

Faye turned to see his companion floating over her left shoulder, “How can I help?”

“Well, if I was to be blunt, you could help yourselves. However, both of you aren’t ready for it yet,” she whispered.

“What do you mean ready for ‘it’ yet?” Faye inquired. She may have an idea, but she doesn’t want to out herself on it if she’s wrong, or worse, she tells him. Suddenly, that idea makes her feel like a child all over again, worried about something frivolous.

“This happened only one other time, you know?” Dove said aloud, breaking the Spartan’s thought process. “He was like this around only one other person, and when they died, I thought I lost him.” Faye was silent, unsure about saying something. Dove chuckled, “You need not say anything, Madame Spartan, just listen. It took my Guardian three years to even approach them at first. After that, another few months to just have a simple conversation. I think they liked playing that game with him, he wasn’t very subtle mind you. So, they figured it out pretty quickly. When I had asked their Ghost, the feeling was mutual between them. With a little push from us,” her shell clicked and turned to face the Spartan, “They got together.”

Her shell immediately deflated. Faye hesitantly spoke, “Then that day happened.”

“Yes, it did, and that forever changed him. His whole being changed. Subtle to everyone else, but not to me. I knew him when he was much more exuberant. Now, only a few things can keep his mood above water,” Dove said.

“Why are you telling me this?” As much as she was grateful for this, Faye couldn’t understand why Dove was telling her this.

Dove’s shell clicked and chirped, “Honestly? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I can talk to you easily. That, and it seems my Guardian trusts you the most up to this point.” In actuality, Dove knows exactly why she’s telling Faye this. She’s waiting to see if Faye can pick up the clues. She would rather have her have some forewarning in case something happens to Sebastian. It makes Dove feel ill just thinking about that. Ghosts can’t even get ill, but it feels that way.

Sebastian’s eyes hesitantly opened at feeling Dove’s emotions. He moved his body and felt stiff. In the short time he was asleep, he didn’t get a nightmare. Using the cave as support, he stood up and made his way to the front of the cave. Emile stopped him, “Feeling alright, Gramps?”

“Just a little exhausted, gotta remember, I am not built like you all are. I still have the body of a normal human, as much as normal passes for around here. Just needed to rest my eyes,” Sebastian said through a yawn.

“Then why aren’t you resting?” Emile asked, feigning concern. It sounded more like a scolding.

“Still have a lot to prove, Four. Plus, my Ghost has an emotional leak, where I can feel her emotions more so than normal,” Sebastian explained.

“Outside with Six, just don’t worry about keeping watch tonight, you need to be at full strength,” Emile said before patting Sebastian on the back, pushing him forward. He went outside to see Faye and Dove conversing. He couldn’t hear the conversation but judging by the way her shoulders were moving, it wasn’t something he should get in on.

Dove noticed her Guardian’s presence immediately and stopped talking. Faye noticed and turned to see Sebastian. “What are you doing?”

“Coming to see Dove because her emotions woke me?” He phrased it as a question before walking over to Dove, still missing his chest piece, gauntlet, and cloak. “Your emotions leaked again, Dove. Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

Faye supplied the answer, “She is worried about you.”

“When is she not?” He cupped Dove’s shell, “You’ve watched over me for three centuries, Dove. Are you always going to worry about me like this? I’ve faced worse before.”

“Yes I am, I just don’t want to lose you. I spent four centuries or so searching for you. I always worried about you, even before I knew you,” Dove went right to his neck and stayed there. Sebastian turned to Faye, whose expression he couldn’t see at the moment, and smiled apologetically.

“Come on, looks like you need to rest, Sebastian,” Faye said, taking notice of the bags under his eyes, that and his chest, which the sunset was making it look even better than before.

“Staring at me now? A little rude wouldn’t you think?” Sebastian said in an overly obvious teasing tone. He knew she was staring, not that he can blame her. Appreciating one’s body can never go wrong. He’s done it multiple times to her as well.

Faye turned, thankful the helmet contained her blush. She’d never hear the end of it if others saw her. “Wasn’t staring, just observing,” she muttered softly.

“Just teasing you,” he let out a yawn, “but right now, I could use some sleep. Let’s just hope my nightmares give me a break tonight,” he said before heading back inside the cave and returning to his original place. Faye’s head whipped around at the mention of ‘nightmare’. The last thing she needs is to worry about him having a nightmare.

Right before he went off to sleep, Carter came back with an announcement, “Well, Holland gave the green light. Tomorrow, we head to the Sabre facility and take out the Covenant Supercarrier. That means Six, you’re going to have to pilot the Sabre. Five will go with you. Seven, we’ll get you up there with another Sabre.”

“What do they Sabres look like, Dove?” he mumbled. Dove showed him a picture of these Sabres and his eyes drew to the design. “They look something like Arcadia class jumpships, not exactly but close enough, from the Golden Age. Should be easy to pilot.” Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. “What? I’ve flown ships like that before. Dove has seen my progress.”

“Golden Age?” Jun questioned to himself. 

Sebastian let out a low laugh before answering, “Another time, then. I’m falling asleep here, so I’m going to pass out. Wake me if you need me.” Sebastian went back to his original place and Dove settled into the crook of his neck before powering off for the night. 

Faye came into the cave sometime later to see him squirming, mumbling something, tensing, clenching and unclenching his fists. Faye sat next to him, putting her weapon opposite of her. She made sure that no one was watching before slowly grabbing his hand. Sebastian’s body instantly relaxed and he sleepily murmured, “Thank you.”

Faye had a smile on her face throughout the rest of the night, her hand covering his.

* * *

Having slept peacefully for the first time in around five years, he woke up full of energy. What surprised him more was that Faye was next to him. Going further beyond, her hand was holding his. That made him smile, even further than that, her head was resting on his shoulder, the unarmored one. Sebastian laid there, content before she suddenly snapped up. Sebastian didn’t move and waited for her to do something.

He heard her sigh before the hissing of her helmet was heard. Sebastian took that as his moment to say, “Thank you for that.”

Faye stopped all motions before asking, “For what?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Faye. I think you’ll be pleased to know that I slept peacefully. It _ totally _ didn’t have to do with you leaning on my shoulder, holding my hand, and just being here in general,” Sebastian kind of snarky like, but Faye is acting like this isn’t a big deal to her. Sighing, “Sorry, just thought I should let you know that your effort is appreciated. Now, go on, I’ll meet up with you shortly.”

“You don’t need to be sorry. I will admit, I hate seeing you in distress like that. You were squirming, twitching, so I did what I thought would relax you,” she said before grabbing her weapon and heading out.

Sebastian felt his heart swell as he took his chest piece and fastened it to his body, along with his other gauntlet, and then finally his cloak. His fingers stroked the odd patch in the fabric, before sighing and fastening it to his armor. He stepped outside before Emile spoke, “Feeling alright old-timer?”

“Well enough to kick your ass if you try me,” Sebastian shot back in jest.

“Don’t tempt me,” was all he replied. A Falcon came by to pick up Carter, Kat, Jorge, Faye, and Sebastian. Dove had woken up early and already prepared all of his weapons, should need any of them. Fatebringer seems like a good choice today.

Sebastian took a side seat on the Falcon and let all the Spartans take the main seats. He sat silently as they approached the facility. It was a short flight it seemed, and when they finally got there, Sebastian started to feel sick to his stomach. His hand curled around his stomach, but it felt like a gnawing hunger. Yet, he wasn’t actually hungry, he doesn’t need food to survive when the Light can do that too. Weird concept, but it was how he adapted out in the field for weeks.

Yet, this feeling made his whole body lurch. He kept his cool until they got their boots on the ground. Once they landed, Jorge spoke, “Bit of a hike to the launch facility.”

Carter reasoned with him, “Any closer’s too hot to land.”

“Copy that, Commander,” Kat nodded as he prepped her weapons.

“Move up the beach, Noble,” Carter said and the sounds of five different pairs of footsteps traveled up the beach, on their way to see a cluster of a situation.

In the back of the group, Sebastian slowed, and mid-step, he ripped off his helmet and he breathed in before dry heaving. Faye immediately had turned on a dime as he saw him on his knees. The rest of the team already engaged with Covenant forces._ Why is he acting like this? _ Then Dove spoke, “How bad is this feeling?”

_ Feeling? Oh, his Hunter sense. _Between breaths, “Worse than the Crisis. Worse than anything I’ve ever encountered. Please tell me…” he heaved again, going to his hands and knees this time, “Tell me that you’ll go through with the plan.”

“Guardian, I-”

“Promise me, Dove,” he said taking slow deep breaths, his eyes filled with the tears from his dry heaving. “Please promise me that you’ll follow along with the plan,” he pleaded with his Ghost. _ What plan do you have up your sleeve, Sebastian Rutherford? _

With much reluctance from the Ghost, she eventually relented, “I promise, Sebastian, by the word of the Traveler.” Sebastian immediately sagged in relief, before sitting back on his knees, his episode over.

“Are you good?” Faye asked, kneeling down to his level.

“Sorry you had to see that, but I don’t think I’m going to like the outcome of this, I’ll warn you now,” he made a motion to stand up. The feeling now lingers like an incoming chill up his spine, something that will shadow him for this mission.

“Come on, they will need our help, and if we’re lucky, they won’t get mad,” Faye led the way up the beach for the both of them to see multiple Covenant units engaging Noble Team. Faye hunkered down right by a Covenant drop pod that was already empty but the doors shut. She took out her DMR before picking off a few Jackals and an Elite. Sebastian was taking his Fatebringer, with explosive rounds and taking shots. No one asked where they were and he was thankful for that.

Making headway up the beach, a Covenant Seraph was shot out of the air by an AA gun. It crashed into the base, destroying a section of it. Sebastian was stunned but made off without making a major reaction. Killing even more Covenant, even activating his Sword and slicing down a Jackal that ventured too close. Having gotten inside was the easy part, now they had to make it to the Sabre.

One of the female troops yelled from the entrance of the base, “Spartans coming in! Watch your fire!”

A male trooper cut in right after, addressing Carter, “Flight control’s this way, and they are expecting you.”

After passing the troops, Jorge was announcing his surprise, “I still cannot believe that Holland said yes to this operation.”

Kat had a smug tone in her voice as she traveled down the hallway, “Well, some plans are just too good to say no to.”

Faye interrupted, “Don’t get cocky, sister, it just might kill you one day. I will admit, however, this is a good plan.”

“Of course it is, I came up with it,” Kat replied, not turning around.

“If you are done here, focus. Let’s just get that Sabre airborne before he changes his mind,” Carter ordered.

After passing a few more corridors, Noble Team came upon the Sabre launch bay. “Jorge, Six: get to the Sabre before the Covenant wreck it. Seven with me, we are getting you up there.”

Jorge had to ask, “And how are you going to do that?”

Carter had a precise answer to this query, “Jun’s on his way with a Falcon, we’ll exfil after we get all three of you up in the air. Move it!”

“You heard the boss man, Six,” Jorge ordered Faye to go. She ascended the steps before turning around to get a look at Sebastian. He’s been uncharacteristically silent during the trek up here and she doesn’t exactly know how to make him talk about it. Her mind was still reeling from his words from earlier. What plan does he have in place? It should be obvious to her, but right now, she isn’t thinking of all the possibilities.

She climbed into the pilot’s chair and Jorge after her. The platform detached and the computer started the countdown. Faye pressed a few buttons, checking over the Sabre’s status, any last-minute checks are always necessary. The countdown started and Faye’s nerves were skyrocketing again. She had learned how to pilot Sabres back when she was under ONI’s jurisdiction. Those were just for certification, and she had only a couple missions before it to actually fly it. Yet, she is indeed certified to fly one of these things. She only wants to make sure Sebastian comes out of this alright. Her heart beats faster at the thought of harm coming to him.

Sebastian, on the other hand, was rushed into another Sabre at a neighboring launch pad. They allowed him to fly after proving he knows the control and he was right about them. They _ do _ resemble the Arcadia jumpships that he got once upon a time. So, he was allowed to fly and was given a countdown to soar. The computer was helpful, but Dove took over the systems and programmed the navigation to follow Faye’s Sabre.

Sebastian leaned back into his chair and had a small mental conversation with Dove. however, he was cut off by the G-forces applied upon launching. Once they reached the upper stratosphere, they were instructed to meet up with the UNSC Savannah and Anchor 9. Sebastian silently hopes that this adventure goes smoothly.

* * *

Reach from up in the Sabres looked beautiful, and Sebastian was awed by the sight but he had to focus. His co-pilot wasn’t much of a talker and he preferred that. The Guardian knew they meant business. Once acquainted with his flight controls, he follows behind Faye’s Sabre and waits for an order.

The silence was short-lived as Savannah Actual and Anchor 9 needed Sabre team assistance as Anchor 9’s defenses were currently charging up. Sebastian took a hold of his controls and waited for the signal. He would get to live out another small dream of his. _ Space Combat. _ While his ships don’t exactly use weapons, they are on them in case.

That signal was Covenant Banshee teleporting out of slipspace. Sebastian watched as other Sabres engaged the Covenant forces, destroying the Banshees with just a couple of rounds from the cannons. Dove informed him of the missiles it has for later. 

One of the Banshees was tailing Sebastian and he had a plan. Once it was directly behind him, he warned his co-pilot to hang on as he pulled up and cut off the engines, circling up and behind the Banshee before blasting it to pieces.

_ “Anchor 9 to all UNSC ships. Our defensive batteries are at 56%; hang in there. We should be up shortly.” _

At the same moment, Covenant Seraphs entered the area. Colonel Holland gave the entire Sabre team advice, _ “Sabre teams: use your guns to take down their shields, then hit ‘em with your missiles!” _

Faye was weaving in and out killing all the Covenant she could see. These Banshees and Seraphs stood no chance when she was at the helm. Much to her surprise, her flight training did not wear out, but she did see another pilot doing just about as well as her. It was most likely Sebastian. After seeing the maneuver he pulled off, she didn’t try it, because there are better ways of doing that.

After finally killing off that wave of Covenant, Anchor 9 reported in, _ “Defensive batteries at 79%; buy us another minute Sabre teams.” _

Faye just wanted to get to the Carrier so they could blow it up. One can only hope that everything goes well. During this time, yet another wave of Covenant ships showed up. Faye checked the ammo in both weapons, she would be alright, but she may consider asking for a quick restock on her guns.

That minute must have been quick because as soon as the skirmish started, it was over. Sebastian rested his hands after Anchor 9 contacted the entire team again and told them to clear the lane in case of other Covenant show up. Hopefully, they won’t.

Once they were given the all-clear, Faye maneuvered her Sabre into a docking position. “I’m out here, Six. I need your override.” Faye pulled her override allowing Jorge to leave the Sabre. He pushes off the Sabre and flies in zero-gee to a Pelican floating close by.

Whilst flying over Reach, he mumbles, _ “Megszakad a szivem _ … _ ” _

Auntie Dot didn’t catch it so she asked, _ “Noble Five? Please repeat.” _

In English, he asked Dot to pull up a surface grid, nineteen by-twenty-two. Faye recognized the location. ONI Sword Base. Faye realized that Doctor Halsey is still down there, and it was getting hammered by Covenant forces. Dot said there was nothing that he can do for Doctor Halsey at this time. Colonel Holland explained that the _ UNSC Savannah _ donated her slipspace drive to the cause, but it will be around for local fire support on the Covenant cruiser. _ “I’ve stuck my neck out for Noble on this one, Lieutenant.” _

“We’ll get it done, sir. Six out,” Faye replied as they flew to Covenant occupied space. Sebastian wordlessly followed and when they arrived to the Carrier, the feeling in his stomach intensified, but not as bad as it was initially.

Once they got there, they were told to kill any Covenant vehicles in the area. The _ UNSC Savannah _ jammed their comms so they couldn’t flag for help. _ “Sabre team, target the Carrier’s engines. We cannot let it get away!” _ Colonel Holland’s voice was raised, but it carried authority. Wordlessly, the entire team took out the engines _ and _ the patrol that got back in a matter of three minutes. Granted, those three minutes were a long and tedious three minutes, but it was highly efficient.

Auntie Dot scanned the vessel and found a landing pad of sorts on the top of the Carrier. With instructions to land and board the vessel, they made haste to make it to the main hangar. The package could not enter the main hangar without eliminating the Covenant presence that resides there.

Once they landed on top of the cruiser, everyone jumped out of their respective Sabres. Sebastian made sure to grab this pack that Dove said would be important later. A re-entry kit. Taking her word for it, he hopped out onto the platform. Faye was across from him, so he naturally awaited for her signal to attack. Multiple Covenant were below them, and Faye had her sights set on one.

With a wave of her hand, she descended into the cruiser and smashed an Elite’s head in. The rest of the Marines and Sebastian followed suit. The Hunter threw a knife with blinding precision into an Elite’s helmet and shot a couple of Grunts that were too surprised to shoot back, all before he landed on the ground. “Watch out, its low gravity in here,” Faye warned the rest of the troops. He turned to see her floating in the air, opening fire on Covenant. _ Graceful _.

Once the ones were dealt with in there, the artificial gravity was turned on. Sebastian was a little ways off the ground and when it turned on, he fell and stumbled on his landing. He looked around to see some of the Marines accompanying them did fall. Sebastian ran over and pulled a couple of them up before seeing Faye wave him over. 

“Now what?” he asked as he made it within respectable speaking distance. On another note on his walk over to Faye, the warm feeling from the Falcon returned but it didn't get stronger, instead, it got weaker. Dove noted that whatever it was, it used to be on the ship. Sebastian let the feeling drop and refocused on his task.

“First, how are you feeling? Second, through this corridor, and from there we can get to the main hangar and allow Five an entrance,” The Spartan said so casually, he almost forgot that she does concern herself over him.

“I’m alright, no need to worry yourself about me when the mission should be your priority, Six,” and as much as he _ wanted _ to say her name, the Marines don’t know it, because apparently, he needs to have a ‘professional standard’ around them; much to his dismay.

Faye felt a small amount of hurt well in her, but she snuffed it before it could make an appearance. “Seven, Get the Marines to move out, I’ll be clearing a way forward,” she turned to go do just that but he grabbed her arm.

“Not without me, and the rest of them,” he gestured to the Marines. “Your lone wolf is showing again, you don’t have to do it alone,” his words leaking a plea. A plea to not just go off and get herself killed. He doesn’t even want to think about that.

Faye pondered his words for a moment, before waving the Marines forward, “You watch my six, and they watch yours. Move when I do, understood?” Her words were ice, Sebastian would bet she was gritting her teeth right at this moment.

“Crystal, ma’am,” Sebastian said with a relaxed stance. Faye said nothing as she went through the door towards the hangar. The marines gave a questioning look to Sebastian. He shrugged and gestured them forward while also relaying what Faye said to him. They nodded and got their weapons ready. Sebastian casually reloaded Fatebringer, rolled his neck, before exhaling and headed through the door that Faye did. “Dove, is she mad at me?” He said aloud, the marines looked at him like he was crazy.

“No, surprisingly. She’s mostly angry at herself,” Dove supplied aloud. When Sebastian asked why, Dove simply said, “I believe she’s trying to figure out what I said to her yesterday.”

To clarify, “Right before I interrupted your chat?” Dove chirped in confirmation. “Ahh, I see.”

Dove was about to respond when he silenced everyone as the door to the main hangar opened. Faye was already taking out a bunch of Covenant and was currently in cover. _ “Bout time you showed up. I was thinking I would be taking on the whole Covenant myself.” _

“You seem to be handling it just fine, I had to make sure you weren’t pissed at me because then you would actually shoot me,” Sebastian said knowingly

_ “You mean that offer’s still on the table?” _ Her words teasing but turned serious once she was shot at, _ “Think you can take those Skirmishers out?” _

With a simple flick of his wrist, he fired shots at the Jackal snipers who were taking potshots. Once those were clear, Faye emerged from cover after they were dead. Once the bunch of them cleared out the Covenant forces, Faye hopped up to another platform to let the Pelican in. With that being done, this operation could continue. Once Jorge made it inside, he reported it in, “Sir, the powder keg is aboard.”

_ “Copy that. Six, get your fireteam to the bridge; the Corvette’s refueling run with the Supercarrier will have to be initiated manually,” _ Holland’s voice rang into Faye’s ear. _ “Five, stay with the bomb and disengage the curious.” _

Both Spartans acknowledged before Jorge said, “Better get a move on, I’ll be here all by lonesome.”

Without another word from either of them, Sebastian and Faye left for the bridge. They passed through the weapons room, where the turrets were. Once they entered the room, they witnessed the _UNSC_ _Savannah _be destroyed with multiple distress calls going off. Sebastian was wide-eyed and Faye’s facial expression was set in a grim fashion. Emotionless, Faye said, “Come on, nothing we can do for them now.”

Sebastian turned to look at her and was about to say something, but Dove stopped him, “You know she’s right, Guardian. The only thing we can do is to complete the mission and go. Just don’t argue.” Deep down, he wants to argue but he knows she’s right. They are gone and the best thing he can do for them is to make sure they didn’t die in vain.

“I’m on your six,” he mumbled to Faye as he stacked up behind her, ready to take out the bridge and reroute their fueling run. 

“Cloak yourself and pick a target. On my go, kill what you can, and I’ll back you up, sound good?” She asked over her shoulder.

Without a word, Sebastian lowered into a crouch and went invisible as the door silently opened. He took small, careful steps in an attempt to not make any noise. Sebastian spotted two Elites not paying attention. Don’t they know their ship is going to blow up? Once Sebastian was in position, he had Dove send a ping to notify Faye he was ready.

_ “Drop them,” _ She said, and he obliged wholeheartedly. The two Elites were dead before a noise of surprise was made. Once they were taken care of, Faye had thrown a grenade in the middle of a squad of Grunts, taking them out. The Marines that were still alive were picking out targets that weren’t important to the other two.

Once they were dead, Faye entered the commands for the next phase of the plan. That was until Jorge radioed in, _ “Six, our ride outta here is taking heavy fire! Get back to the Hangar!” _ Faye immediately looked to Sebastian who nodded, understanding what was said. He continued along with the other Marines.

Every step in the hallway made him feel sicker and sicker, every step made him feel like something else was bound to go wrong. Faye noticed him slacking behind and waited for the Marines to go on ahead whilst warning them to use caution when they advance. “Seven, you need to tell me what’s going on with you.”

Sebastian snapped his head towards her and was about to have an outburst, but the words died as he looked right at her visor. “I- I think something bad is going to happen.”

“Elaborate,” she ordered.

When he spoke again, his words weren’t directed at her, “Make sure she’s safe.”

“What?” Faye questioned, reaching out to grab his arm, but he already walked away to catch up with the Marines. 

When he got to the door back to the main hangar, a group of Grunts went suicidal and had snuck up on the Marines. He killed the Grunts and as he did, he shouted, “Move, now!”

The Marines didn’t get the warning in time as the Grunt’s plasma grenades exploded, killing the remaining Marines. Sebastian did a double-check, making sure there weren’t more of them and entered the hangar. Jorge was hunkered down by the Pelican shooting at Elite Rangers that were being quite annoying.

Faye caught up and noticed the dead Marines; she knew that she shouldn’t have stayed behind, but something told her to stay and watch him. As she was firing her weapon, the recoil next to nothing to her. She picked her targets and killed an Elite Ranger. Another one landed behind her, but she was faster and grabbed a knife from her chest sheath and stabbed the Elite, its shields popping once the knife made contact. She threw the body away and immediately looked for Sebastian. He was in the process of stabbing a Ranger with an Energy Sword before deactivating the Sword and letting the body fall. Once he stepped away from the Elite, it seemed that every step pained him. Faye was looking at his legs, looking for a limp, and when she saw none, she instantly connected the dots, at least some of them.

His feeling or whatever is what’s draining him. “How bad do these normally get?” Sebastian opened his mouth and put up a finger but Faye stopped him, “Don’t avoid my question.”

Wincing, “They never usually last this long. Normally, it would have already happened by now, but the longer it lingers, the worse I’ll feel. It’s a positive but also a negative.”

Jorge dropped his chaingun and had to deliver some bad news, “Six, Seven: rally on me.” Once both of them stopped their conversation, they made it over to Jorge messing with the slipspace timer.

Auntie Got’s voice projected out of Five and Six’s armor so Sebastian could hear, _ “Distance is closing on this vessel's refueling track with the Covenant Supercarrier. Seventy-six seconds to endpoint.” _

Jorge was trying to arm the timer, but it didn’t respond, “Damn it... So, it's gonna be like that,” he grumbled before hitting the timer. “Well, I got good news and bad news. This bird took some fire and her thruster gimbal is toast. So the only way off this slag heap is gravity.”

Faye turned to face Jorge, her rifle on her back. Sebastian holstered all of his weapons and listened in, “So, what’s the good news?”

Unfortunately, Jorge did not have the good news because, “That _ was _ the good news, Six.” Sebastian was putting the pieces of the puzzle together… it was going to hit him real soon.

Auntie Dot’s voice came again, _ “At current velocity, fifty-three seconds to endpoint.” _

Jorge sighed, removed his helmet, let it drop to the floor, “Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Jorge still wasn’t done, “Bad news is, timer's fried. I'm gonna have to fire it manually.”

Sebastian whispered from the side, “You can’t… But you…”

Faye didn’t have to hide the unease in her voice around the Spartan-II, “_ Jorge, _ that's a one-way trip.”

The Spartan-II chuckled, “We all make it sooner or later. Better get going, Six, they're gonna need you down there. Listen, Reach has been good to me,” Jorge removed his dog tags from around his neck and gives them to Faye. “Time has come to return the favor. Do not deny me this.”

Sebastian yelled out, “Why don’t you let me fire the ship? I could die and come back from it. Dove is safe in the other dimension.” Sebastian was desperate to make it so these Spartans survive, and if it kills him, it kills him. 

Jorge scoffed, “I owe it to Reach, Seven. Let me have this.” Jorge made eye contact with Sebastian and his eyes showed the Guardian that he wasn’t going to be able to change his mind. Jorge lifted Faye up with one hand, gestured to Sebastian follow with the other, all while carrying Faye to the shield.

Faye didn’t say anything else as she accepted that he wouldn’t be coming with her. She let a tear escape her eyes as she heard him say, “Tell 'em to make it count.” Then she was thrown outside the ship, floating down to Reach, back to the fight.

Back in the ship, Jorge clapped Sebastian on the shoulder, “You’re a good one for her. You’ve made her feel more human in the shortest amount of time, Sebastian. Do me a personal favor.”

Sebastian was too far into his stupor to respond but nodded. Jorge smiled at the Guardian, “Tell her how you _ really _ feel about her.” The Hunter was about to respond, but Jorge didn’t let him as he was pushed out into space.

Sebastian watched as the ship got farther and farther away. Faye was further down than him, and she called out, _ “Sebastian, look at me!” _

He twisted his body to face the planet and not the ship, Faye was just falling. Sebastian had Dove make sure his Bones of Eao boots were on and he used one of his jumps to ‘push’ himself to Faye. That one push almost boosted him past her, but she grabbed onto his hand, one of her lifelines, it feels like. Faye brought him close to her, _ hugging _ him close. The entrance through the atmosphere is not going to be pretty.

_ “Faye, I’m not going to survive this fall, but I do appreciate the effort,” _ Sebastian said the words strained. He knew that falling from this height would kill him. Hell, even the burning on re-entry would kill him.

Faye was about to respond when the Supercarrier tore itself in half, sending a pulse wave because of the slipspace drive’s malfunction. Jorge was immediately vaporized and transported to oblivion. Faye instinctively held Sebastian closer. Sebastian sighed in content and silent tears went down his face. While he didn’t know Jorge to the extent of the other Noble Team members, but even knowing him for a short time, it really put an effect on him. Losing a brother in battle never gets any easier.

At the same time, once that Supercarrier was destroyed, many more Covenant ships arrived in Reach space. Dot kept repeating, _ “Slipspace rupture detected.” _

Sebastian was barely holding on, going through the atmosphere, his eyes were drooping. Dove was trying to tell him to stay awake, but she knew it was in vain. She will have to resurrect him once they hit the ground.

Faye was trying to keep him awake, feeling his grip slack. Dove had to intervene, _ “Madame Spartan, he’s comatose now, he won’t survive the fall. However, hold on to him for as long as possible, it’ll make it easier to revive him.” _

Flames started to appear around the Spartan and Guardian, getting hotter and more intense as they plummeted to the ground, their respective armors mostly likely boiling to the touch. The Supercarrier’s hull was also falling to the surface, and it shouldn’t hit them. Faye’s eyes started to droop, her grip slacking. _ “Dove… I-I’m going to pass out…” _

This worried Dove, but as long as the anchor point works and survives the crash, well, Sebastian’s plan will work out. _ “Then rest, Madame Spartan. You won’t feel a thing if you’re comatose.” _ With that, Faye’s eyes shut and her grip on Sebastian was null and void. Dove kept track of how long it would take to hit the ground. She even made her Light be a shield from the heat of re-entry, a weak one, but it will hold for as long as she needed to. It was going to be a long two minutes.

* * *

Sebastian woke with a scream of agony and ringing ears. His hand reaching over to where his arm was. It was gone. His left arm… gone. He couldn’t find it, but the pain of it being taken off without the proper management made it hurt worse. His voice clogged with smoke, “D-Dove? You s-still-” he coughed and felt blood splatter against his cracked visor. “That’s nasty… Little bird?” _ Surprised it didn’t shatter. _

Dove found him and mended some of his wounds and noticed his arm was gone, “Sebastian, listen to me, the arm is gone.”

Coughing again, he took in his surroundings. The sky was covered in ash, soot, and smoke. Craning his head, he saw the remains of the Supercarrier, but no sign of… “Faye! Where is she?” he croaked.

“She’s alive but somewhere safe, comatose. She will wake up soon. Now I ask you, let me stay with you…” Dove pleaded, desperate for her Guardian’s stubbornness be lifted, just this once.

“Dove, you _know_ I can’t,” Sebastian moved the remains of his left arm before screaming in agony once more. “Please, get it off,” he begged.

While Dove could have used this to persuade him to let her stay, she didn’t like seeing her Guardian in pain as much as he was. With a few simple commands, the rest of it fell off, and Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief. Dove also ran a healing beam over him. It was a quick one, so she may have missed something. Wincing again, he managed to sit himself up and Dove got a good look at him. His armor, once in pristine condition and clean is now dirty, bashed, and almost looks ready for the scrap heap. Dove also did a quick repair job on that too, but couldn’t do much for the color. There was more red on it than normal… doesn’t take a genius to figure out why.

Once he was sat up he looked where his arm used to be. All that remains is a stub that shows what used to be. Looking right at his Ghost, “We have to find her. Is the anchor point still working?” _ Please be alive, I need to tell her before anything else happens. _

It was a struggle to stand and for Dove, it felt like pure torture watching her Guardian, who has killed with such precision and has done impossible feats, struggle to even _ stand _. It is times like these that Dove wishes she could have an alternate physical form, one where she could assist him, like a hologram that could feel the world around them. “Yes, it hasn’t faded since it was installed.”

“Go. Go to her and wait,” Sebastian commanded his Ghost.

“But-”

“I said _go…_ _please_. Find her, wait until she wakes up and let her figure out if you’re there,” Sebastian said firmly. “If she doesn’t, then show her. When she asks, and I know she will; show her the message, and above all, stay strong for me,” tears were leaking out of his eyes, but his voice held strong.

Dove cuddled into her Guardian’s neck, whimpering, “I promise,” she whispered, her shell twitching rapidly. She doesn’t _ want _to leave him, but she knows it is better if she isn’t around for when… she doesn’t even want to think about it. “Be Brave, my Guardian…”

Sebastian smiled sadly, “Be Brave, my little Light…” and with that, Dove disappeared to wherever Faye is while he was now alone. The cold feeling from the armory came back, and that meant she was safe.

As he explored the wreckage, the fires were starting to dim, making line of sight distance a tad better, but still less than desired as Sebastian hobbled along, leading them away. _ They won’t get her... _ A mantra he repeated as he continued to push forward, leading the Covenant who are no doubt scanning for him in the wreckage. “I was wondering when you were going to show up,” he said to seemingly no one.

Sebastian turned around, to check behind him to see nothing, as expected. The smoke was thicker over in this area, away from where Faye could be. As he turned around to face forward, a hand gripped around his throat, hoisting him off the ground. **“Did you miss us?” **it was the male Stealth Elite from the scouting mission. He said something in his native tongue, which sounded odd to the Guardian’s partially ringing ears.

Sebastian’s eyes widened and continued to struggle, gagging as it was most unexpected, his airway being restricted, doesn’t make it easy, especially with only one arm. He would rather pass out and die than go with them. **“We warned you… and look where you are now, Demon,” **he said, his mandibles clicking in satisfaction.

Another voice came from behind him, speaking in that same language. _ Why do I feel like I know it?! _ Next thing he knew, he was thrown to the ground. He struggled to turn around with only one arm, but he was scooting away slowly. His feeling from earlier was _ calming down _ to the point of disappearing. The Elites, now uncloaked, were laughing. **“You thought you could ** ** _escape_ ** ** us for this long?”** the male said, snarling at Sebastian for good measure.

Sebastian didn’t flinch and kept scooting backward, no matter if it was futile. The male snarled and his sword was ignited in front of his face, the blade mere centimeters from going through his skull. Sebastian may not show it, but now he was terrified. He could use his Light and risk trying to get away, but they may have more than just these two. Or, make no moves and go with them, just unwillingly. **“Speak, Demon!”**

Sebastian coughed, blood going through the crack of his visor this time, before shrugging, as best he could with only one arm. _ This stubbornness will be the reason I die. _ He looked to the male and back to the female, but was met with a fist to his head, concussing him.

His ears were ringing again and he felt dazed,_ obviously _, but he was smiling that bloody smile all over again. Weakly, he said, “I won’t ever talk, you’ll have to kill me first.”

**“Where’s your construct, Demon?”** the female spoke with an odd tone, something that made Sebastian shiver. For the exact reason… he doesn’t know. As for her question, he elected not to speak. If they kill him, they kill him, no questions answered for them. Dove will be safe, even if it means losing them forever. At least, the message will explain everything. He’ll go out with no regrets. The female snarled and picked him up off the ground, her hand around his throat, and her sword now pointed right at his face. **“Where. Is. Your construct?”**

The grip on his throat wasn’t tight, so he could still speak, but all he did was spit inside his helmet, splattering more blood, but also letting some of it slip through the cracks of his visor and it went onto her facemask. The male snapped at the female and Sebastian was dropped again. The sword, however, was hovering over his heart. His eyes closed on their own volition, and the smile never left his face. All of his thoughts now were on Faye and Dove, the two most important things in his life now.

Feeling another set of eyes on him, he craned his head to the right, to not see much of anything, but his right hand twitched into a thumbs up, before dropping his hand and sighing. Before losing the battle to stay conscious, he got one more thought to Dove, _ “Don’t be sad that I’m gone, be glad for all the times I was there. Be Brave…” _

The female withdrew her sword before stepping on his chest and Sebastian gasped in pain, feeling his ribs crack under the pressure before passing out.

The male Elite picked up Sebastian’s unconscious form before chastising the female, **“We need him alive.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is fine. Hope you are ready for what I have in store. These upcoming chapters, maybe two or three down the line might take a little while longer to do, since I have some behind the scenes things to worry about.
> 
> Oh, and since I'm such a sellout, how many of you have a Twitter? Cause if it interests you, I could post excerpts of the upcoming chapters in a tweet?
> 
> If you want that, that is. If you want it, just let me know. @SoulofHorus, if you're interested.


	13. That Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, alright somethings to explain so I don't confuse you. Faye will be hearing Sebastian's message he left with Dove. When you see the Horizontal line in this chapter, it shifts back to the Destiny Universe _(same for when we go back to the Halo Universe)_ and you, the reader, gets to see what happened. At the same time, Faye is only hearing the message, none of the other details, because Sebastian will only be summarizing it.
> 
> _~~Text like this is the message~~_
> 
> Also, small warning, you get some detail on what happened to his arm. (Yay!) but you also may find it... bad? (Nay!)
> 
> So, I made the details as middle ground as I could, but it is over in about two paragraphs towards the end. Any ellipses you see during the italicized section act as the Horizontal lines for this chapter only.
> 
> I know this is a lengthy note, but a necessary one. Enjoy the chapter!

Faye didn’t remember the impact, but all she knew was that she was alive. Her armor had locked once more before hitting the ground at what seemed like terminal velocity. She had to force her armor to work with her, not against her. With a few strained grunts, her armor unlocked and she started checking over her list of injuries.

A small list, but could lead to a potentially long one; multiple fractured and bruised ribs, a large fracture in her right arm, and multiple fractures along her right leg. She hobbled over to the re-entry pack that landed a few meters from her. She kneeled down next to it and pulled out a pistol, checked the magazine and grabbed the extras that laid within the kit. In her off-hand, she pulled out Jorge’s dog tags, she clutched them in her hand. _ Why would he do that? Why wouldn’t he let Sebastian do it? _

Once she checked over that and placed it on her thigh, she thought about it again why wouldn’t he... “Sebastian!” aloud to herself. She remembered. Her holding him close, him passing out, her passing out soon after, then nothing. “Where the hell did he land? I need to find him.”

_ “You won’t find him, even if you do, you won’t be able to save him,” _ a disembodied voice said that sounded awfully familiar. Faye had her head on a swivel, Magnum now extended.

A moment later, Faye knew who it was. “Dove?!” Faye said in disbelief. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with Sebastian? Is he alright?” The Magnum went back on her thigh. Her concern was showing, but at this point, she didn’t care. She cared about making sure he does not suffer under the Covenant.

Dove appeared in front of Faye’s visor, her eye looking noticeably dim. “He won’t be for long. The Covenant have swarmed his position, he _ told _ me to come to you, after I promised him.”

Faye turned around to look around, the wreckage was everywhere, the smoke concealing the sky, the embers of the ship everywhere. “What do you mean, _ promised _ him? Can you at least point me in the right direction towards him? I-,” she swallowed the lump in her throat, “I need to see him, _ please _.”

Dove felt a little better, now that she knows she cares enough to see him instead of leaving without a chance for a goodbye. “Come on, this way,” she gestured to the nearest ridgeline. “I wouldn’t recommend getting any closer. They-” a gasp came from the Ghost.

Faye whipped her head to face Dove who was falling out of the air. The Spartan plucked the shell from where it hovered and held her gingerly, “What happened?”

“G-Guardian… in… in pain. He’s hurt… and I-I can’t help him. I need to fulfill his promise,” her voice glitchy and almost incomprehensible to the point where it almost sounded like white static.

“What promise?” Faye asked, quite desperately.

Dove didn’t answer. She couldn’t, not with her Guardian in pain, alone, and without her. She felt cold all over again, even while resting in Faye’s hand.

Faye peered over the ridgeline and saw a Covenant dropship along with a squadron of Elites. Even in this circumstance, Faye knew she was outmatched and normally, it wouldn’t stop her. Now, she had Dove to look after, and that rational part of her mind couldn’t just let Dove be all alone. Her heart fluttered as she thought about him, and it makes her have a regret, deep down, that she didn’t tell him that she is _ starting _ to have more than _ just _ comradery type feelings for him. It is all new to her but she wants to explore these foreign sensations, but she needs him to do it. _ I’m admitting it, I like him more than I probably should. _

Once she scouted over the dropship, she noticed two Elites and one person that was not an Elite. _ Sebastian _. Faye used her VISR to zoom in to see an Energy Sword close to his face, him being choked as his legs dangled in the air. Then he was thrown on the ground, crawling backward with only one arm. “What happened to his arm?” Faye whispered to herself.

Dove answered anyway, her voice less glitchy than it was initially. However, her voice hiccupped multiple times, “H-He ne-never _ had _ th-that arm.”

Faye was silent as she absorbed this information; at least all of his worrying about his arm made sense now. All the while, she was losing all of her restraint to stay here on the ridgeline. Her natural instincts wanted to help him.

“What did you promise him?” She whispered down to the Ghost, her eyes still attentive on the Elites.

“L-Later…” Dove said as Faye gently caressed her shell without even looking down.

“I see why he cares for you so much, Dove,” Faye said looking away to see Dove, so small, and so fragile in her hands.

“He _ al-always _ has,” Dove cooed from the Spartan’s hand.

Looking back out to where the Covenant cornered Sebastian, Faye saw the Elite speak to him and Sebastian _ shrugged _ . Then, the other Elite hit him on the side of his head, and he went down, most likely with a concussion. Faye gritted her teeth, it’s killing her not helping him. Normally she would go down, but that puts Dove at risk, which is exactly what Sebastian _ doesn’t _want.

After that, Sebastian must have said something and they didn’t like it. Faye, once again, watched as one of them stepped on his chest, most definitely breaking some of his ribs, adding on to his list of injuries. Dove felt it through their bond and suppressed a cry of pain. She didn’t like being so far away from her injured Guardian. “Alright, that’s it, I’m going to help him.” Faye grabbed the Magnum and was about to make headway down the ridge and kill every last Covenant soldier she could get her hands on.

“Y-You can’t!” Dove cried. “P-Please, h-he asked me t-to watch over y-you. Pl-please Faye, y-you can’t. You’ll die!”

Faye halted as soon as the words were spoken. It was always _ ‘Madame Spartan’ _ never _ ‘Faye’ _ . This was the first time Dove ever called her by name. She looked down at her hand, where the Ghost still lay, _ “Why?!” _ Faye raised her voice, wanting to know the real reason why Sebastian sent his Ghost, his very _ lifeline _ to her.

While waiting for a response, the Spartan-III looked to see one of the Elites holding a sword over his chest. What made her halt all movements, was when he looked in her direction, even if he couldn’t see her, and gave a small thumbs up and his hand dropped. Her heart was hammering in her ribcage because she knew what it meant. _ He isn’t dead, there is no way, he’s survived worse, right? _Dove whimpered before saying, “I will, S-Sebastian… I al-always will. Be Brave, m-my Guardian.” To Faye, it made no sense. For Dove, it filled her with temporary happiness as she reminisced on every single moment she spent with him.

Faye saw his body stop moving, but her VISR can’t see if he’s actually breathing or not, at least, not from this distance. The Covenant then picked up Sebastian before loading him onto their ship, not gentle in the slightest either. They were taking him away; taking him away from _ her _.

“What was that?” Faye asked, her voice back down to its normal level as the ship blasted off to orbit, along with Sebastian.

“A l-last message,” Dove replied back softly. _ You think he isn’t coming back, don’t you? _Faye didn’t dare to speak this thought aloud.

Faye attempted to get a reason why. So, she tried again, speaking softer this time, “Why did he send you to me? What is this promise you keep mentioning?”

“A pr-promise to give you a message in the event of his capture,” Dove said, her optic blinking subtly.

“Dare I ask what is contained in this message?” Faye’s voice was low, soft, and anxious.

“E-Everything he wanted to admit but never had the courage to tell y-you in person. I d-did say that some of this _ ordeal _ only happened with o-one other person. Do you want to hear it now? Or later?” Dove whispered as Faye sat on the ground, exhaustion starting to overtake her.

Faye was debating on it. Did she want to hear his last possible words he could ever say to her? Or would she hold off until she just needed to hear it? “Before I answer, Dove, could you please get a geographical reading based on our current location?”

Dove bristled in her hand, which meant she had to get up. Faye opened her hand and ever so slowly, Dove open her shell, revealing her core and pulsed the area. When she was done, she floated back into Faye’s hand. “There is a city called New Alexandria, maybe an hour’s run away from here. It is under Covenant invasion, so I could play the message while you move,” Dove said, without stuttering. Her voice, however, still sounded a little weak compared to its usual tone.

Standing up, she almost went down again from leaning on her right leg but was fast enough to rebalance herself. Faye began walking, limping ever so slightly, “Play it, please. I need a distraction on my way there. Do I need to carry you all the way or will you be fine floating?” she asked the Ghost who still resided in the Spartan’s hand.

“Actually, you can carry me, but not in the way you think,” she said before disappearing and Faye’s suit felt empowered. Faye, perplexed, checked and she saw improvements in her shields and her flat power bonus.

“When did you do _ this? _ And _ how? _” Faye asked breathlessly, feeling the power rush through the suit and by extension, her.

From her suit speakers, _ “We had this ready as a part of the contingency, except this only functions as an anchor point. It’ll be like I’m with Se- my Guardian, except I cannot give your weapons as I can with him.” _

“You tinkered with my armor?” Faye asked, not sure whether to be mad or impressed. It didn’t slip by the Spartan that remark, that she called him her Guardian, not by his name. She doesn’t want to suffer more than she has to.

_ “We actually didn’t, we just had Marcus, your technician, assist us and keep quiet about it. It only activates when I’m here. It’s how it remained undetected from your checks,” _Dove explained.

Faye mumbled her agreements and continued limping along as she said, “Play the message, only show visuals when you believe it is important,” she desperately wanted to hear his voice. Now that he is not here, this may be her only chance to savor it. _ I sound clingy, don’t I? _

_ “One moment, Faye,” _ Dove whispered while the Spartan heard the clicks and quirks of the Ghost. _ “Last chance to back out, I’d understand, and he would too.” _

“I’m not backing out, Dove. Play it, please,” Faye whispered, her voice much more vulnerable than she wanted.

With a final click, the message began, _ ~~“Uhm, how do I start this?”~~ _ Silence. _ ~~ _ “ _ Of course being blunt would help, so might as well say it. I have feelings for you, Faye Lockhart. Romantic feelings. And there are reasons why I didn’t admit this to you sooner, or in person. You’re probably watching this, courtesy of Dove, bless her, but the first and foremost reason I didn’t tell you was that…”~~ _ Another silence. _ ~~“Okay Dove, I get it. I was afraid to be rejected okay? There I said it. Me, a Guardian afraid of getting his heart broken again.”~~ _There was an audible sigh from the message.

_ Again? _“Pause it, please,” Faye said as her breath caught in her throat. The message stopped right before Sebastian began speaking again. “So he does have feelings for me, but since when?”

_ “Since the relay. More accurately, in his interrogation, when he saw you for the first time without your armor. With anyone he has ever seen, they never jumpstarted his heart as you did. Faye, you made him feel something. Something I thought died when she did,” _Dove said through Faye’s speakers.

“What do you think died besides… her?” Faye questioned, cautiously, as she continued to limp towards New Alexandria.

_ “His heart,” _ Dove said simply. Faye didn’t say anything for a pregnant moment, because what _ could _ she say?

“Why was he afraid to admit it?” Faye asked quietly. The Spartan didn’t know the odds and ends of being human, because she hasn’t felt this way since… never.

_ “Fearing your rejection. He knew Spartans don’t exactly _ ** _do_ ** _ emotions, so it was a struggle for him not to admit his feelings to you outright. I’m pretty sure the rest of the team has caught on to you two. Sometimes, you aren’t exactly subtle,” _ Faye heard teasing in the Ghost’s voice. Faye blushed a little under the helmet, but that didn’t stop Dove from checking her vitals. Since she is in the armor, she has access to everything Faye does. _ “Calm that racing heart there, Faye. I wouldn’t want you to have a heart attack.” _

“That is not fair,” Faye huffed.

Changing the subject, _ “Do you want to continue the message?” _

Sighing, “Yeah, sure. Play it.”

_ ~~“I wanted to tell you for a while and considering the Covenant is going to kidnap me at one point or another, I might as well tell you the story of Rosalina, my late lover, and how she died and how I became a different man. It’s a question I know you’ll have, and its to save you the jealousy you might have… Of course, I’m going to say it, Dove. She deserves it. Anyway, with this story, I’ll tell you what happened that day, and it’ll explain the scouting mission… you know what I’m talking about. One last thing before I start: This doesn’t change how I feel about you, but she will always have a piece of my heart. Something I’m offering to you...”~~ _ A sigh from him, _ ~~“It all started when-”~~ _

Dove paused the message, _ “Last chance, Faye…” _

With several deep breaths and a racing heart, “Play it, Dove. Please.”

* * *

  
  


_ Sebastian was at Felwinter peak, along with Rosalina and her Ghost, Ward. Rosalina was Awoken, so she had that exotic azure skin that every Awoken has, her eyes were a light yellow, and she had the softest smile. Sebastian had spent a long time watching from afar, just nervous about even approaching her, but when he finally did, it was the happiest he’s ever been. _

_ All the while, SIVA was running rampant throughout the Plaguelands, an extension of Old Russia’s Cosmodrome. The Fallen House of Devils had managed to find this virus after Lord Saladin fought to bury it because it killed off the majority of the Iron Lords. The Fallen use it for their own malicious purposes now. That virus was a blessing as it was a curse. _

_ The virus functions off a do a thing, make it better, repeat. It needed order after order to function and it won’t stop until given a new order. With that one stipulation, it soon went out of control and started spreading, rapidly and dangerously. Lord Saladin had to call in Guardian support and Sebastian and Rosalina went to meet up with the man who runs the Iron Banner. Even the monthly tournaments, at this time, had to be run by Lady Effrideet, which was a surprise to every Guardian. Rosa thought she was long gone, but Sebastian never doubted a Hunter. _

_ “What do you think is going to be up there, Sebby?” Rosa asked Sebastian as they hiked up Felwinter Peak instead of flying in. Sebastian walks there because his mentor told him that it would ‘disturb their rest.’ A Hunter rumor, one he would believe in for as long as he lived. _

_ “I don’t know Rose, but whatever it is, Lord Saladin said it was important and we were the ones to respond first. Most Guardians don’t even know about the SIVA outbreak, and he wants it to stay that way,” Sebastian quipped before wrapping an arm around Rosa’s waist and kissing her. _

_ “It should be a fun time then,” she whispered after they separated. _

_ “You’re just saying that because it is an excuse to punch something,” he chuckled at his lover. _

_ Rosa smirked, a mischievous glint in those eyes, “It’ll be you if you keep teasing me, Mr. Hunter.” _

_ “Yes ma’am,” he smirked but immediately winced. Normally, that only happens when… Nah. _

_ Rosa noticed and her lips were no longer smiling, they were concerned, “What is it?” _

_ Grunting, “I don’t know, Rose, but you know when I normally get feelings like this... They are-” _

_ “Normally never wrong, I know, Seb,” Rosa said finishing his sentence. “Do they ever tell you anything?” _

_ “Nope,” he said, popping the ‘p’. “They just tell me that something is going to happen, and that tells me even if I tell you to stay behind, you’ll come anyway because I taught you so well.” Once they walked through the gates of Felwinter Peak, Sebastian felt queasy but didn’t let it show further. Multiple of his friends, and fireteam mates, were also involved in the crisis told him that he should listen to these feelings. His mentor mostly told him to keep an eye on these feelings. _

_ Adding fuel to the fire, Sebastian didn’t sleep at all last night. He chalked it up to Hunter Insomnia, and thought nothing else of it. _

_ Once inside, one of the Wolves that reside on the Peak came over to Sebastian, demanding pats. Sebastian smiled and played with the Wolf while Rosa went to speak with Tyra Karn, the Peak’s Cryptarch. “Hello, Madame Karn,” Rosa said respectfully. _

_ “Ah, Rosa, how are you dear?” The elder woman asked, putting down a recently decoded engram. “Is your ‘boyfriend’ here?” _

_ Rosa blushed, “Okay, I admitted it while I was a little drunk, you don’t need to tease me about it every time I see you,” Rosa said while her skin flushed. _

_ “Talking about me?” Sebastian said slinging an arm over her shoulder. “Where’s the big man?” _

_ Lord Saladin was out on an assignment and he told them to meet up with Tyra to discuss their plan. They needed to take the replication chamber to stop the Splicers and SIVA from spreading beyond Earth. It is like another Hive, but they can actually kill it for good. _

_ While they waited, Sebastian tuned out of the conversation and looked out to the horizon. It was actually pretty nice for a sunset up in the mountains. Felwinter Peak seemed like a nice place to settle down, if not for it being too cold. He much preferred someplace a little bit warmer. A place where he couldn’t see his own breath every single time he breathed. “What? I think it’s a nice place, Guardian.” Dove said, appearing with a flourish of particles. _

_ “Oh, not you too,” Sebastian mock groaned but chuckled afterward. _

_ Sebastian was going to continue to stare, but the roar of a ship rang Sebastian’s ears. Lord Saladin arrived, finally. What made his arrival better, he was transmatted in by his Ghost right behind Sebastian. “Lord Saladin.” _

_ “Young Wolf, you’re here, good. We have much to discuss,” his gruff voice makes him seem like he’s over ninety, but he’s actually half a dozen centuries old or so. Someone you don’t want to mess with. _

_ Once inside, they discuss that both Sebastian and Rosa needed to make it to an old oil tanker that the Splicers decided to use as a power source. Shiro-4, one of Cayde’s best scouts, had joined in some time later, to explain the other ins and outs of the Splicers base of operations. _

_ When they make it to this base and switch some important power cores around, it will disable all SIVA production temporarily and it will allow the Guardians to go in. Once they do, they must make their way to the main compound in Archon’s Keep. The Plaguelands were quarantined for a reason and Saladin stressed that the SIVA outbreak must be contained. It ends here. _

** _…_ **

_ Sebastian loaded his weapons, Fatebringer, the Crash shotgun, and the Corrective Measure machine gun. Dove had these all prepared while he and Rosa were getting well acquainted with one another. Glad to know that side of their lives to still going strong, four years later. _

_ Ward and Dove also have a sort of ‘fling’ going on, it seems all that time of trying to bring their Guardians together brought them together as well. Sebastian makes comments in a mock father voice to ‘bring her home before midnight’ and all that. Yet, Dove knows he’s joking and only wants her to be happy. _

_ Once those two were done messing about, they dressed each other, a sort of tradition between them. A weird Guardian version of aftercare, if you will. They take their time to check their armor before looking for new dents, cuts, or scratches. This process takes about thirty minutes at the fastest. _

_ Having finished that, both Guardians gave a nod to their respective Ghosts and both were transmatted to their ships and raced to the Plaguelands. _

** _..._ **

_ Arriving in the Plaguelands, both Rosa and Sebastian set out on their Sparrows towards the oil tanker. It was a quick ride while Shiro explained, “When the Splicers started fusing SIVA into their systems, they created a massive network to control the nano-tech. So, just like they took down our sensor grid, we're going to take down theirs. That should neutralize SIVA long enough for you to enter the replication complex.” _

_ Lord Saladin’s voice came over the feed, sounding determined, “This is where my fellow Iron Lords _ _ sacrificed their lives. You must stop the flow of SIVA now forever, no matter the cost.” _

_ Both of the Guardian’s Sparrows roared ac _ _ ross the Plagelands, arriving in Giant’s Husk, where multiple Splicers were waiting. It was like the virus knew they would try this. They had prepared for this, but the one thing the Splicers, and every enemy in general, need to learn about Guardians… is that they are unpredictable. They are the wrench that no one ever expects. _

_ As such, taking on the multiple SIVAfied Captains, Dregs, and Vandals, which was no challenge for a Titan. Rosa just went off with her Hammers, while Sebastian took out the stragglers with his blades. Parkouring up the tanker, they headed inside to see how much of SIVA’s influence has spread. Sebastian thought it looked like red licorice and reached out to touch a strand. _

_ “Hey, Seb, don’t touch it!” Rosa slapped his hand away. “You don’t know what it’ll do to you.” _

_ “Can you blame me for being curious? SIVA is still widely unknown to us,” he trailed off, letting the thought go and purging it from his mind. _

_ “What, you want to use it for something? Do you know how crazy that sounds? It took out most of the Iron Lords, almost making them extinct!” Rosa chastised him, quite loudly, might Sebastian note. _

_ “I’m not saying that, but it begs the question, what made it, who started it, and how the hell did it get out of control? Questions for a Warlock, the good thing is, I know a certain Warlock who has notebooks just filled with notes. Might have to get her a Dawning present because Traveler knows how much she writes,” Sebastian dismissed Rosa’s claim. He never wants to see this stuff again when they are done here. Oh, how much that statement applies. _

_ Both Dove and Ward picked up an energy signature, which Shiro said was the reactor. “Swapping the Fusion Cells should knock their network out for a few minutes.” _

_ “Understood, Shiro,” Sebastian replied. _

_ After having their conversation, they made it inside the main reactor that allows SIVA to produce. Once this is taken out, they can safely go inside the replication chamber. However, the feeling Sebastian got is getting worse before it got better. Now, normally he would brush it off, and think nothing of them, being the cocky, arrogant person he sometimes is, but now he’s beginning to have second thoughts. He says nothing about it, but Dove is closely observing him. Sebastian cleared out the top floor with a stylish knife throw, and Rosa killed the bottom floor with her fists because of course she did. _

_ She pulled out the power core on her floor as Sebastian did his. “Toss it up?” he asked _

_ “As long as you toss yours down,” she quipped and they hefted each other’s cores to one another before reinserting their respective areas. Multiple explosions reverberated throughout the room, shaking the very foundation of the tanker. It felt like it was going to make the room come down on top of them. _

_ It comes as no surprise that the explosion knocked a few things loose. Like an exit, which was promptly pointed out by Sebastian. Rosa lifted herself up and both Guardians raced outside before jumping on their Sparrows and racing towards Archon’s keep. _

_ As they were driving, multiple SIVA lines and strands on the ground were sparking and exploding near both Guardians as they drove by. Sebastian wanted to play chicken with one of them, seeing how close he can get, but Rosa threatened to beat him into a pulp. That quickly shut him up. While driving through the Doomed Sea, Saladin went on with another tidbit of information, “The Iron Lords' original plan was to destroy the replicator in the SIVA chamber. Jolder's explosion apparently only damaged it, so when you reach the chamber, you will need to finish what she began.” _

_ Rosa had a question, “How come this didn’t become a problem before? What I mean is, you would think the Devils would have found this sooner? Weren’t the Fallen around at the time?” Make it multiple questions. _

_ Sebastian actually had a valid answer to these, “To my knowledge, they weren’t in the territory at the time, Rose. The Fallen didn’t come around until years later, and my guess is the resulting explosion kind of buried it.” Shiro expressed that the theory was plausible, but Lord Saladin did not comment. Rosa nodded to herself and remember that Sebastian is around a half-century or two older than her. Yet, a small smile came to her face as he showed off those smarts that make rare appearances. _

_ Upon reaching the Archon's Keep, a massive explosion tears through the observatory in the far distance. Even Sebastian slowed up to view the pretty scenery of that factory going up in flames. Rosa had to motion him forward as they sped past all the SIVAfied Fallen. They drove right up to the entrance where a second explosion went off, killing a SIVA Vandal and blinding a Dreg. They headed on inward towards a place called the Archon’s Forge. “Looks like the Fallen are losing control of SIVA and it’s having some adverse effects,” Shiro mused through the feed. _

_ Saladin warned them, “Do not celebrate yet.” _

_ Before Sebastian followed after Rosa, on foot, he let his mentor and best friend know that they were descending into the thick of it. Thick of it is other words for the chamber. If Sebastian does not ping him in the next half hour, he is to come for him. A backup plan. He knows his mentor has his own little posse of Guardians, ones he has on hand like Cayde has his. _

_ As they entered the Archon’s Forge, Saladin had even more info on the Iron Lords’ attack, “Only a few of us reached the Replication Complex. The worst of Rasputin's defenses had already blanketed this entire area. Frames... constructs... some things I haven't seen before nor since. They felt no pain, no fear.” _

_ Sebastian piped in, “We haven’t seen anything else other than Fallen. But that does confirm an old urban legend about our local Warmind.” _

_ “Last time, his presence was almost physical. I think he was trying to communicate, but we did not understand,” Saladin said grimly. How is this man acting so depressed, but during Iron Banner matches he’s almost at Lord Shaxx’s level? Then again, all of his friends did die here, so Sebastian will let this one pass. _

_ Rosa joined in on the conversation, “And how are we supposed to know if Rasputin won’t get involved? He, urhm, it could do anything to hinder or assist us.” Sebastian patted her shoulder as he walked by, descending into the Warrens. _

_ Saladin let out a small chuckle, “The Vanguard believe that Rasputin is still just a simple Warmind. He hasn’t been that for a long time, Guardians.” _

_ Both Sebastian and Rosa looked at each in shock before taking small hesitant steps through the Warrens, SIVA flowing through the walls, and some of the veins still sparking as they passed. The Hunter carried Fatebringer and a knife in hand, while the Titan carried the shotgun Invective and her fists. It was weird that they have not had a major encounter with any SIVA foot soldiers. It was actually weirder for the eerie silence that both Guardians stumbled upon. Normally, it’s all guns blazing and finding loot. A vent further up caught Sebastian’s attention and crawled through it, mostly avoiding the SIVA. _

_ As Rosa followed him, his feeling worsened, almost to the point of heaving, but he swallowed the lump in his throat and continued along, silently. Upon dropping from the vent, the Fallen spot both Guardians and a firefight ensued. A lot of shot trading, healing, and some curse words were exchanged from both sides, even if the former couldn’t understand the latter. _

_ Ward exchanged a conversation, speaking aloud, “So when we stop the production of SIVA because it’ll be just that easy- what about the head honcho?” _

_ Sebastian admitted that it is a good question. Thankfully, Shiro has an answer to that, “I have some leads on that- Fallen chatter about some crazy Splicer Priest that wants to play God. However, this takes precedence. These Zealots can take a back seat until the heavy lifting is done.” _

_ “How are you holding up, Sebastian? You’re unnaturally quiet,” Rosa asked him after taking out all of the Fallen in the area. Sebastian asked himself that question, and he honestly didn’t have a good answer, so he shrugged saying, ‘I don’t know,’ and left it at that. _

_ Soon after, they come upon a console and on the floor below was a Captain with a modified Scorch Cannon, along with two squads of SIVA Fallen. “Dove, can you bypass this? Ward, could you please help her?” Sebastian asked both of the Ghosts before pulling Rosa aside. _

_ “What is it, babe?” she asked him, concerned now. _

_ “I’ve got a feeling this won’t go well, ever since we came down here, it’s been getting worse, just watch yourself, for me?” Seb pleaded with her. _

_ “Of course I will, Sebby. When do I not?” she cooed to him. _

_ “Well, there was that one time that you-” _

_ “We agreed to never speak of it again,” she said before she punched his shoulder, pretty hard. The sound of armor clanking resonated throughout the room. Both Ghosts turned to their Guardians, then to each other, rolled their eyes, and went back to the panel. _

_ “Ow woman, I’m a little more fragile than you. I can’t punch through a concrete wall, so stop hitting me like one!” Sebastian winced. Rosa does hit hard, but she smirked under her helmet. _

_ “Now that you two have had your moment for the day,” Ward stated, his shell shifting, “we really should get moving. This place does not bode well with me.” _

_ Once they reached the bottom floor, and Sebastian let his blades fly in a majestic display of Arc sparks, killing a majority of the Fallen in the room before a Vandal shot him. His shoulder took the brunt of it but it still hurt. He dropped his knife before Fatebringer took its head off. Dove mother henning him, “Well, the armor took most of the impact, but it did leave a solid bruise, one moment…” she pulsed a healing beam and his arm was good as new. _

_ “The Replication Chamber is beneath you. Look for a way down,” Saladin’s voice sounded patchy over comms. _

_ “Could you sound any _ ** _more_ ** _ ominous, Lord Saladin?” Sebastian asked as a joke. Only a broken chuckle was returned through the feed. “I stand corrected.” _

_ Rosa peered over the hole in the floor that the Captain was guarding. With no stairs, Rosa leaped down yelling, “Geronimo!” accompanied by a laugh. _

_ “How did I fall in love with her again, Dove?” Sebastian asked as he stared down the slope, watching her land with a Titan’s grace. _

_ “Maybe because you found someone who can put up with you?” Dove questioned back in jest. _

_ “Fair,” the comms were spotty soon after, “Could you repeat that, Lord Saladin?” _

_ “Be care-… expect SIVA... out all... cards to stop… move…” the comms then died out. He updated his ping to his mentor to say comms are spotty and are most likely to give out. In a last-minute decision, he told him to come quickly. Sebastian thinks something is to go wrong. _

_ Sebastian uses one of his two jumps when he was three-quarters of the way down the slope and then his second jump when he was right above the ground. All his momentum stopped and he landed before slightly bending his knees. “About time you got down here, Sebby. I was getting bored,” Rosa said off to the side. _

_ Deciding to be blunt, “Comms are out, but I have a backup plan. My mentor will be here as soon as he can, and he won’t be alone.” _

_ “That bad, huh?” _

_ “How can you be nonchalant about this?” Sebastian inquired with a raised brow under his helmet. _

_ “Oh, I’m not. Internally, I’m freaking out, because if you really think about it. We are standing in history, and we are going to alter the ending. Doesn’t that make you feel weird? We are going to step where Legends stepped, fight where they fought, and quite possibly die where they did, over and over. So yes, I’m nonchalant right now,” Rosa huffed all in one breath. _

_ Sebastian grabbed her hand and held her close, “You know I love you right?” _

_ “Well, of course, you do because I love you too,” she wrapped her arms around his middle while he put his over her shoulders. This isn’t the first time they have said ‘I love you’. It’s just why said the words when actions do the job better in most cases? But sometimes, the words need to be said. _

_ A flare is lit over the embracing Guardians’ heads and more Splicers came out shooting. Dodging and weaving through the plasma shots, both Guardians opened fire on the Fallen, killing them in the shortest time possible. “I think this virus made them sort of easier to kill, but twice as annoying,” Sebastian murmured. _

_ Once they reach the blast door bearing Rasputin's symbol, the door opens for the pair of Guardians, revealing the hallway where the Iron Lords made their last stand. The entire area is shrouded in dark red light; there are strong threads of SIVA covering every square foot of the chamber. Seeing this puts a chill down both of the Guardians’ spines. Every step felt cold like they were venturing into the Darkness itself, something Sebastian will want to forget. _

_ As both Sebastian and Rosa carefully journeyed further into the chamber, both Guardians see a sight that just puts them both in an awe-shocked state. The chamber is completely covered—even held aloft—by branches of SIVA. The chamber itself has been separated from the metal hallway, and now sits in an ocean of pulsing blood red and black; even the bridge across is composed entirely of the element. It makes a wet squishing noise when they stepped on it. Walking along the platform, each step closer to the final resting places of multiple of the Iron Lords, it amplifies the negative emotions that each Guardian was silently expressing. Each step filled them with dread on what they were going to find if anything. _

_ Sebastian walked inside first, Rosa close behind, and finds the solidified masses of SIVA, three hanging objects near the center, obscured by more and more red tendrils. Dove took a scan of the room and the results were horrifying, “Those _ ** _things_ ** _ have human DNA. It’s just not possible!” _

_ Sebastian took a second look and he wishes he didn’t. They did indeed look humanoid, but with his sharp senses, he could almost make out a face amongst the three objects. It made him want to throw up in his helmet. His feeling is drawn towards one of them but with them all in close proximity, he can’t distinguish which one is causing it. _

_ Ward took a scan of them as well and confirmed Dove’s original findings and pointed out that they were the remnants of Lords Gheleon and Felwinter and Lady Jolder. Lord Felwinter held an Iron Axe. None of these were the original Iron Lords, and that made it all the more gut-wrenching. With comms down, they couldn’t report in and tell them the horrors and atrocities that were seen here. “Dove, enter the self-destruct codes.” _

_ She appeared and flew over to the terminal before a few lights flickered and Felwinter’s body was consumed by the SIVA cloud and then yanked into the ceiling. “What was that? What’s happening?” Dove asked since her attention was on the self destruct codes, the female Ghost didn’t notice it. _

_ Seconds later, the Iron Axe falls in front of the two Guardians. Rosa and Sebastian look towards each other before Sebastian took cautious steps forward and reached out for the Axe. Once he grabbed it, he was thrown backward. By none other than the Remnant of Felwinter, and it was pissed. It wielded a machine gun and some sort of drill. _

_ As Sebastian was thrown back, he still clutched that Axe as Rosa caught him. “We need to kill these things and get topside real quick. Do you want the Axe? There are flames around the area to rekindle it.” _

_ Instead of answering, Rosa took the Axe from the Hunter and leaped toward the Remnant and starting cutting down its limbs. Sebastian watched as more Fallen leaked from the walls and spawned from the pods. Sebastian had Dove and Ward hide with their respective Guardians. Sebastian took Fatebringer and well, did what the name implied… _

_ After Rosa was done wailing on Felwinter’s reanimated body and it crumbled along with the SIVA inside it. Both Gheleon and Jolder’s bodies were surrounded in the same red miasma that Felwinter was. In a second, both of them were sucked into the red sea above them; they would be joining them shortly. _

_ Rosa was panting slightly, her armor looking scratched to hell, and some places dented. How bad as how hard did it hit her? while Sebastian offered to take the Axe and use it against one of them, it would allow Rosa a temporary rest while he took care of the rest of the Fallen. Reklinding the Axe, Gheleon, and Jolder appeared and they were angry, irrationality so. They both let out a roar and even more Splicers poured out from the walls. “How is that even possible?” Sebastian muttered to himself. _

_ Dove didn’t have an answer, Ward didn’t have an answer, and Rosa didn’t have an answer. She started shooting Invective at Jolder’s Remnant while Sebastian went after Gheleon. The force of his swings were strong, even letting out an area-of-effect attack once he slammed the ground, temporarily stunning the beast. Sebastian took a few potshots with Fatebringer, even reloading with one hand and swing the Axe like a mace, doing multiple spins and slashing Gheleon at its legs. _

_ The shots of the Fallen around them were missing their targets most of the time, so they weren’t majorly important. Dropping the Axe, he pulled out the Crash and let the buckshot fly, it dug into the SIVAfied Iron Lord before it too suffered the same fate as Felwinter. _

_ Jolder, however, had different plans. It rushed the Guardian, Rosa, before smacking her away. Before Jolder could make it to the stunned Guardian, it was interrupted by the other nuisance. It knocked Sebastian away, cutting his left forearm, and made him slide across the room. _

_ Rosa was still a little dazed from her knockback, her armor looked worse for wear. The Remnant of Jolder picked her up, Ward trying to get her to focus, and before Rosa could react, the Remnant impaled her, drawing a pained gasp from the Titan. The remnant had infected her, and Ward didn’t listen to her silent instruction to stay put. He appeared, and once he did, the Remnant of Jolder crushed him, sending a Light pulse all across the room. Sebastian screamed as he died, Dove was now stunned into shock. _

_ Sebastian rose up, weakly, and activated Golden Gun before firing those three shots into the Remnant and burned it. What made Sebastian’s blood boil, was that the Remnant laughed before it burned away into nothingness. His Golden Gun faded and so did his anger, but it turned into dread. “Rosa!” Sebastian limped over to Rosa’s side before cradling her body, SIVA already starting to spread, and without her Ghost, she would turn into one of these… things. _

_ “Please, don’t go, I need you, Rose,” he pleaded. He was crying on the inside of his helmet, he should have been faster, he should have done better. _

_ Her hand pressed against his helmet, her voice going out as the SIVA flowed through its new host. “Go… finish what we... started. If you find... someone else… who makes you… happy and com-complete… chase them. I- I love you, Seb...” _

_ Her hand fell from his helmet and the only woman he ever loved died in his arms, Ward was in pieces scattered around the room, the core destroyed beyond all recognition. Without another word, he limped back to the console and ordered Dove to put in the rest of the self-destruct codes. She did so, her core hurting on the inside as she inputted the final self destruct codes. _

_ The chamber rumbled as dozens of tendrils of SIVA freely spray out from the computer terminal, and the rest of the infection hisses and sizzles, visibly in pain. Dove went back to her dimension and Sebastian ran as best as he could, but pain shot up his arm. It was starting to turn red, SIVA red. The SIVA infected him and he didn’t want to risk being trapped inside. So he booked it, as fast as his limp would carry him. More Fallen tried to stop him, but they died due to secondary explosions. Once he stumbled outside the door, it slammed shut as the rest of the explosions finished. It was almost over. _

_ Sebastian screamed in agony as the SIVA pulsed on his arm, slowly stretching and reaching up. “Dove, what are my- ahh- options?” _

_ “I can’t heal it since the virus would just come back. I can’t do anything that would help you. I’ve failed you,” she replied solemnly, her optic dimmer now, feel terrible that she can’t help her Guardian when he needs it. _

_ “There is one option…” Gritting his teeth, he pulled out a knife, holding it over his arm. “I’ll do it myself.” _

_ “What?! Sebastian, you’ll die from the shock and blood loss!” she exclaimed. _

_ “I’d rather that than this!” he screamed as he started cutting his arm, right above the elbow and below the shoulder. It was the sharpest knife he had and he had very limited time before the shock overtook him. His screams and cries of agony echoed in the hollow chamber as the knife passed through the skin, the outer muscles. _

_ He could feel it with every slice, even through the bone. His grip was weakening and he was about to stop, but a final reminder of what he would become if he failed, sparked the last bits of his resolve that he needed. Once he made it through the bone, which was downright excruciating, it was easy to make it through the rest. Once he felt the knife cut through the remainder of his arm, he dropped the knife and clutched his stub. A very jagged stub, the cut was far from clean, and he would come back without his arm. Most would think that having a Ghost could restore lost limbs, but that is not the case. _

_ With some of the last bits of strength, he scooted away from his arm in case it tried to Frankenstein him. His blood was leaking from between his fingers, leaving a trail, and his eyes were drooping. “D-Dove, I’m I- I’m sorry…” and his eyes closed, but his world didn’t go black, at least not yet. The shock has caught up with him, but he hasn’t passed out yet. That meant his hand wasn’t covering his stub. His very life leaked onto the cold metal floor, and he was alone, save for his Ghost. _

_ The frantic Ghost tried to keep him awake but another voice made him hold on for just a bit longer, one that wasn’t his Ghost, but of his mentor, the voice started with a joking vibe but quickly turned, “You crazy son of a… Damn it. You, wrap his arm. You, help me get him out of here and back to Felwinter Peak.” Then Sebastian’s world went black. _

** _…_ **

_ The next time Sebastian woke up was with a loud gasp and pure unadulterated panic coursed through his veins. Adrenaline making his heart rate skyrocket. His mind never let him rest of what he saw, what he witnessed, and that was all he saw during his dreams. The Remnant did what it was ordered to do: _ ** _consume, enhance, replicate..._ ** _ That chant is the only thing he heard in his sleep, the echos of the chamber resonating with him, or was it the SIVA? Most likely the SIVA. _

_ He was looking around, reaching for a knife in case someone tried to attack him. He tried to sit up with his left arm but felt nothing. The Hunter froze and then the tears came, silent ones. “She’s gone…” he whispered to himself. _

_ “But you’re still here, and you avenged her as a Hunter should,” that same voice from the compound. Sebastian tried to sit up, but a gloved hand came over his chest. “You need to rest, protégé. After what you went through, you _ ** _need_ ** _ to rest.” It wasn’t a suggestion, it was an order. _

_ “Where’s Dove?” he asked in between breaths, his eyes now adjusting to see his mentor. The man close behind Cayde in status, but the one who truly taught Sebastian how to be a Hunter. _

_ The fellow Hunter nodded his head to the other side of the room, where Dove laid on the nightstand, her optic blinking on and off, her shell scuffed and dirty, meaning she was in a power-off state. “She hasn’t made a move since you’ve been in here. I mean, once she knew you were safe and in here, she shut off. She has no physical damage, but a high possibility of psychological damage. My sister could probably tell you better than I could, but don’t expect Dove to wake up right now.” _

_ “Kaz…” Sebastian’s voice was strained. “How long… how long was I out? Where exactly am I?” _

_ “Felwinter Peak, you were in the City for two days under a non-disclosure procedure, to check you over, in case any lingering SIVA was still in your arm. Which was about the only move you could make at the time, as much as it pains me,” Kaz said. _

_ “I didn’t have much of a choice, sue me,” Sebastian sassed. _

_ “None of that with me, and I’m not upset at you. You had to make a choice and now you’re dealing with the consequences. Your Ghost watched as you cut it off, and from her words alone, it doesn’t begin to describe what you went through,” the elder Hunter explained. He continued to tell him what Dove had said. _

_ Moving on to his next question, “Anyone who saw you at the Tower was told to keep quiet or they would be dealt with. As for how long you’ve been here… Two weeks… I honestly thought I lost you. I’d rather you outlive me than the other way around,” Kaz replied. Sebastian took notice of the deep exhaustion lines around his mentor’s eyes. _

_ “When was the last time you slept?” he asked, his throat suddenly dry. _

_ “Does blinking count?” he said with a joking tone before handing him a cup with a straw. “Drink,” he ordered. _

_ Sebastian did so, his throat thanking him. “Kaz, she’s gone…” he croaked. _

_ A deep sigh came from the mentor, “I know… and I know how much you loved her. She matched you in your stubbornness and so much more.” _

_ “How do you do it?” Sebastian found himself asking. _

_ The other Hunter caught what he was asking and answered, “Honestly? I don’t know, I just know that if I lost one or both of them, I would live out the remainder of my days in solitude, but by then, I might be a few hundred years older. I would hope to see you then,” Kaz said to his protégé. _

_ “I should have been able to do more, I should have been able to save her… I should have-” _

_ His palm lit up with Arc Sparks and held it over his chest, “Shut it with that talk, Sebastian. I won’t let you wallow in your own guilt like this. It. Was. Not. Your. Fault.” His mentor’s dark amber eyes pierced his blue ones. The sparks stopped and Kaz retracted his hand. _

_ With a silent huff, he stopped, but that didn’t stop the thoughts rampaging on in his head. The thoughts that would haunt him for years to come and beyond. _

_ “Oh, and before I forget, Sebastian,” the former looked over to his teacher. “Saladin made you an Iron Lord while you were out, after all this, you at least deserve that. So, welcome to Iron Wolves, friend. Your official ceremony will be after you get acquitted from the hospital,” Kaz said as he exited the room. Sebastian let out a small smile before it all came crashing down on him. _

* * *

_ ~~“So with that being said, I never liked to talk about it or even mention it. It brings me back to my darkest place and it reminds me of my failure. I had gotten my arm a few months later after the SIVA crisis was deemed declassified. With the help of my mentor’s sister, she created an arm that would work for me, based on Rosa and I’s design. If I ever get the chance to see you again… I’ll tell you stories about my one-armed adventures.”~~ _

_ ~~“However, there are many days I wonder what would have happened if I had let the SIVA take me over, but the one thing that brought me back was Dove. Faye, remember I said that Ghosts are a Guardian’s most prized possession/companion? I meant it and I’m trusting you a great deal with her, so please try to keep her out of trouble. She will most likely go into an emotional downfall, it happened with Ward, not now but later, and I know it’ll happen with her. It is just the when. That being said, I’ll apologize now… I’m sorry I had to put you both through this and trust me, it hurts me too, but with risks as big as this, I made a choice. A choice that would potentially free you of a burden.”~~ _Another sigh from the message.

Soon a visual was in the upper left of her helmet’s visor, _ ~~“Faye, do me this favor, don’t try to come for me.”~~ _ She stopped in her tracks as the message continued, _ ~~“Finish your mission and I’ll worry about myself. I will find a way out of wherever the hell I end up, Hunter’s vow and Faye… tell Noble Team that I’m sorry and that I won’t give them anything. I’ll die before I turn against Humanity. Be Brave, Faye, and... I… uh…”~~ _ Faye watched Sebastian hesitate and her heart sped up again, not going unnoticed by the Ghost in her armor. _ ~~“Never mind, forget it, I’ll tell you in person…”~~ _He paused before motioning for the message to end.

“Is that it?” Faye asked softly, her armor crunching the dead leaves on the ground. In contrast, her heart was still beating faster than normal and she felt adrenaline thriving throughout her body. Something that only he brings out, more than the battlefield at some points. 

_ “It is,” _ Dove confirmed. _ “You know what he wanted to say, don’t you?” _

“I do,” Faye said, her voice wavering just a little. She continued to hobble along reaching the top of a hill. Over the course of the two hour or so walk, the biofoam stored in Faye’s armor made her leg easier to walk on and it made it easier for her to breathe, but it won’t hold up if she takes another nasty hit like that. The top of this hill showed Faye the attack on New Alexandria and she needed to get there.

_ “If he had said it, whether it be in the message or to your face, what would you have said?” _ Dove asked, curious if the Spartan would accept it. The Ghost was met with silence. _ “Faye?” _

After a few more moments of silence, she spoke, “I think I would be too stunned to answer if he said it _ and _ mean it. He would have been the first to say it to me.”

However, it makes her feel _ sad _ that he’s not here. Not here next to her, by her side, where she felt like he belonged. Faye has felt more human now than ever before. She never thought of herself as a person because of all the things she’s done, what ONI ordered her to do. If she had refused though, ONI would have used less than humane methods to get her to fall in line.

Right now, all she had was herself, her weapon, and Dove. _ “Faye, are you sure you want to go in with your injuries? Your ‘biofoam’ is holding, but you can’t take any major hits, otherwise, it will shatter and you will experience insurmountable pain.” _

Faye stared at the Covenant vessels that surrounded the city, she grabbed her pistol off her thigh, checked its magazine again and said with the utmost determination, “I’m a Spartan, Dove. I don’t just back down when I’m injured…” she grinned under that helmet of hers, “I’m at my best when my enemies think I’m weak.”


	14. Glimpse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> College started and I will have work cut out for me, so chapters may be stretched out on the upload schedule. I'll let you in on something, I never plan for my stories, by that, I mean I never fully outline. They are just vague ideas that hold my interest for long periods of time. With that being said, you get to see something that I honestly forgot about the Covenant when I was writing. It's about Female Sangheili in the Covenant army. _Weird how no one mentioned it, but I figured I would kinda stay true to canon, even though this is Canon Divergence._
> 
> Oh, and a good character that we all know and love comes in. For the record, he was there and I was doing research on what fleet and who else was there after the Long Night of Solace's destruction. I didn't put him in here for the hell of it.

Faye continued to sneak down into the city, passing the outer wall, which had a gaping hole in it. The Spartan took note of the plasma residue that was left behind, that and the angle. Since the message finished and she said her words on the matter, there was one question she had in mind. “Dove?”

_ “Yes, Faye? It still is weird to call you that, by the way,”  _ the Ghost said idly, almost shy-like.

“Why couldn’t you restore his arm after the hospital?” the question was innocent, but it was anything but. All of these feats that she could do, but not heal a simple arm? Faye doesn’t believe that.

_ “When he came to, he asked me to ‘save’ him without his arm. At the time of his infection, it was true, I couldn’t  _ ** _do _ ** _ anything about it until it was removed. He just took matters into his own hands, as per usual. It was a reminder that he isn’t worthy of that arm, so he asked me to keep him like that, and now every time I revive him, his arm remains as the stub,”  _ Dove explained as Faye’s boots tapped on the pathway.  _ “I still kept a version of him with the arm, I just never told him about it.” _

“Isn’t that lying to him? I distinctly remember him saying that you can’t lie,” Faye questioned.

_ “It isn’t lying if he hasn’t ever asked about it.” _ Fair point, Dove.

Faye was now entering New Alexandria and she was on her own, save for Dove, and she didn’t know where the rest of her team was. Her team. She’s gotten used to having a team watching her back. The one she wanted by her side was not here. She wanted him here, but instead, he’s with the Covenant, on who knows what ship. Her head tilted towards the sky and for once in her life, she sent a silent prayer to his Traveler to bring him back to her, safely.  _ What have you done to me, Sebastian? _

* * *

Sebastian was delirious as soon as he was on their ship, his whole being screaming in pain.  _ Well, I did get a beating on the ground, so... _ He’s really hoping to breathe wrong and have one of his fractured, or possibly shattered, ribs puncture his heart so he could just die. The last thing he wanted was to be a prisoner, but his hand was dealt and it ended in a bust. That and his left arm, his metal arm, is gone, so is his mobility for the most part. That didn’t mean he couldn’t fight, no. He learned how to be a one-armed Guardian for five years, he has become adept at fighting that way. However, on these big aliens, it may not work.

Each breath hurt like someone was crushing his ribs all over again. He was pretty sure he was suffering from some minor internal bleeding and quite possibly a hemorrhage or two, at the extreme end. The Guardian just felt dead, but alive all over, a weird line to walk he must admit. The pain, the cold, and eerie feeling that he was being watched. Every few seconds, he would cough and more blood would spew through his cracked helmet. The Elites haven’t made a move to take off his helmet, or even touch him since they ever so gracefully put him down on this… bed? Cot? Random flat board? Sebastian didn’t know and he didn’t really care. The Grunts that were on the ship took a closer look at the wounded Guardian. Sebastian didn’t have the strength to even bat them away.

One of the brave ones poked his ribs and it sent him into a coughing fit, making more blood coming from his cracked visor. The resulting small fountain of blood landed on him, on the floor below him, and possibly on the Grunt itself. One of the Elites turned and yelled something in its native tongue, sending the Unggoy away in a fit of screams. His eyes were closed the entire time and a part of him didn’t want to open them, partially because he doesn’t want to, but also because he doesn’t want to look at his physical appearance. He probably looked worse than he felt. Sebastian wasn’t paying attention too much as his breathing started to slow on its own accord.  _ Good, maybe I’ll get off easy _ .

One problem, the ship lurched and Sebastian groaned in pain, but he wouldn’t let this pain stop him. The only pain he focused on was the cold throb in his heart. This separation from Dove is something most bonded Guardians never have to experience, the cold. It wouldn’t be as bad if both of them denounced their bond, and even then, the cold would forever be a part of him, just not as intense. If only one of them denounced it, only one half of the pair would feel the chill. This cold feels like it swirls around his heart and threatens to constrict at any moment. Sebastian is actually holding all of the negative feelings in about the separation at the moment, which is a miracle in itself, given his current condition.

His breathing became labored, hoarse, and drained. He was going to die and it would be peaceful. Hw wanted to see the other side and stay there, just for a moment. His Light would still shine bright, but he would never be able to use it again. He sent silent prayers to Dove, Rosa, Noble Team, and  _ Faye _ .

He stopped.

He stopped because he would be leaving this world without admitting how he truly felt about her, even the message doesn’t begin to describe the way he feels about her. How she was the one who could be the medic to his heart. His pulse elevated at the mere thought of her; something that only Rosa has done many times before. Just thinking about being right next to her made a small goofy bloody smile appear under that helmet of his. She would be the one he needed in his immortal life, and he wouldn’t want to break a vow, now would he? He never has, and he never will.

With his newfound determination, he would wait for the perfect moment. He would wait for the perfect opportunity to slip away. Most of the Covenant units that were on the ship had already left, judging by the intensity of their footsteps becoming less and less fierce to his hearing. Once he healed, he wanted to attempt to see if these Covenant ships have escape pods, and with the limited knowledge he had, he remembered that Dove said that they do, but only for the higher-ups.

Three problems with that plan. One, Sebastian was still too injured to even move, much less fight. Two, he doesn’t know the layout of the ship as of yet, so he won’t know which way was up. Three, his weapons, he won’t have access to them, so he’ll resort to scavenging. That one is the least of his concerns, but the other two are the problems.

**“It seems that you survived Demon. Shame,”** one of them growled at Sebastian, the male stealth Elite, judging by the gruffness of the voice.

**“Brother, go. I will be taking care of this Demon. Report to the Supreme Commander, and I will join you shortly,” ** the female said. He loathed being alone with this one, he would much rather take his chances with the male. Sebastian tensed as the female put her hand on his chest.  **“Oh, how I could crush you in an instant, Demon.” ** Her voice was full of malice and hidden promises. Her hand then curled around his chest, applying pressure and gradually increased it.  _ How fucking big is her hand, like damn?! _

Sebastian gagged as his breath was cut short, his entire chest felt like someone was rearranging his lungs, heart, and liver. If his ribs weren’t fractured then, then they might be now. His gagging intensified, blood was flooding his throat and he couldn’t breathe. His hand latched onto the female’s and made his Light flare. Just because his Ghost isn’t present, doesn’t mean he can’t summon the charge he still had from prior.

The female snarled as she tore her hand away. She drew her Energy Sword and poised it under Sebastian’s throat. The Guardian immediately wrapped his own hand round his throat and the sound of him choking intensified. Sebastian would have laughed had his body not urged him to purge the contents of his throat. With one major effort, he willed his body to lean over and allow gravity to rid himself of his blood. It leaked through the visor in a steady stream before he fell off whatever he was on. Once he landed on the ground, he made no movements to even scream. The pain was so great, that it was a silent scream. A scream that said so many things, but it allowed the feelings he was holding back to slip through. Now, he can only hope the metaphorical wall he made doesn’t completely crumble in on itself.  _ I’m sorry, Dove. _

The sound of the door to the ship opening made Sebastian finally peer slightly to his left. He saw the armor of three other Sangheili, and a fourth one further back.  **“That will be quite enough, Assassin.”** Sebastian assumed he looked at him,  **“Did he do this to himself, or you just couldn’t wait?”**

That sent ice through the Guardian’s veins, this was not good. The fact they were chatting so nonchalantly about him,  _ dying _ on the floor.  **“My apologies, Supreme Commander.” ** _ The big boss? What have I gotten myself into? _

**“Bring him to the Huragok, they will see to it that this peculiar Demon does not perish… yet,” ** then he left the room along with two of the other armored Sangheili. The fourth one stepped back into the room.  _ Well, at least I know I’ll be dying soon. _

Sebastian continued to lie there and he wondered why he wasn’t dead yet, certainly, he should have bled out by now. Normally, he would have by now, or his internal bleeding isn’t as bad as he originally thought. That didn’t matter as he was roughly picked up off the ground and he forced his legs to stand. His arm was twisted behind his back, and naturally, his first instinct was to grab his shoulder, but that became a problem as he didn’t have that arm right now. He forced his eyes open to see a lot of darker colors. Lots of blues, and purples, with a dash of yellow, and two very pissed off Elites behind him.

Sebastian was forced to walk, or stumble, or limp in this case as they brought him off the ship. Under the helmet, his entire face and body were probably caked in dry blood. Something he knows that won’t come out, maybe add it to the decor. He’s certainly doing that with the amount seeping through the cracks. Multiple questions remained in his mind,  _ Who the hell was that Sangheili? What is their importance and how much interest do I hold to him? _

The trio continued down the hall, all while Sebastian was hearing what he assumed to be slurs about him, but the word ‘Demon’, clear as day, was being thrown around like it was candy. The female Elite had only tightened her grip on his arm, feeling the armor on it being crushed and pushed against his skin. Any further pressure could break it and then shatter his arm. It seems she was determined to make him scream, to submit. The most they would get from the Guardian captive are grunts, groans, and moans of pain. Maybe a sassy comment here or there, but other than that, nothing. He would not break under this, and he has a plan on what to do, what to focus on when the going gets tough. The female said something to a group of four other Elites, who seemed to laugh and cheer in glee. Sebastian took notice of their stature and stance, noticing they were female also. Sebastian had to ask, his voice soft and low, choking on every other word, “I seemed... to notice that… there aren’t… that many… other females… around… why?”

That earned him multiple snarls from the latter group and the one holding his arm. Said one yanked on his arm, dislocating his shoulder. A grunt unwillingly escaped his mouth at the sudden flare of pain.  **“You watch your tongue, Demon.”**

Sebastian chose not to comment, but to find out, if he could, more about them. Most records he looked over with Dove found that a majority, if not all, Sangheili in the Covenant army are male, so to see five females in similar colored armor raised a lot of questions to the Hunter’s limited knowledge. Sebastian didn’t really pay attention to his parade through the ship, as he was more worried about staying upright and his arm. He couldn’t even pop it back into place, not with the grip the female had on him; he certainly couldn’t do it himself, since that requires, you know, both arms. 

From first glance, the ship looked similar to the  _ Long Night of Solace _ but just… bigger, it wasn’t something he expected, but it was a welcome surprise nonetheless, making a portion of his plan that much easier. A door opened to his left and his head turned to see a floating being, a lot bigger than some Elites, with a lot of different hues of blue, tentacles, and one of them that looked like a face.

The being turned, chirped, presumably calling more of its friends in and soon, five of them were in front of him, inspecting Sebastian. The female said something Sebastian couldn’t understand and his arm was let go. But not without being pushed into the room and the door shutting behind him. He stumbled, expecting to hit the floor. Sebastian closed his eyes, awaiting the impact and the pain that comes with it.

But he never hit the floor.

No, the Huragok saved him. All five of them had wrapped a tentacle or two around his body to support him.  _ Please tell me this isn’t going where I think it is. I’ve heard and seen enough of this to have an idea of where this is going. _ One of the Huragok saw his arm hanging limply at his side and wrapped another tentacle around where his shoulder meets his chest and pulled and twisted,  _ hard. _

Sebastian grunted, almost letting a small scream out. Upon further inspection, he found that he could move his arm again. Feeling temporary relief, “Thanks,” he murmured before coughing, feeling his throat clog up again with blood. He lurched over, and almost fell again, but once again, they saved him from falling. Once he stood tall again, one of the Huragok went in front of Sebastian and nudged him. Of course, he didn’t expect that so he stumbled backward until he was laid down on a table.  _ Oh, this is going to be bad. _ Then, they started bringing out some equipment that Sebastian couldn’t see at the moment, but it terrified him. He didn’t know what they were doing and his breathing picked up, as well as it could, given his current circumstance. Just because he won’t give anything up doesn’t mean he won’t be scared of the methods they would use.

Sebastian didn’t expect these aliens to then prod his chest, him wincing and thrashing every time they hit a sore spot. Furthermore, he especially didn’t expect his bones to mend themselves together thanks to the multiple proddings of these things. Sebastian screamed at the sensation. It felt  _ unnatural _ compared to what Dove normally does. It felt like his bones were  _ regrowing _ beneath his skin; he managed to get his hand over his chest and  _ feel _ the bones reshaping into their proper form.  _ What in the Traveler’s fuck is this? How the fuck?  _ His breathing became better, whilst rapidly increasing, and he sucked in lungfuls of much-needed air. “How? That’s impossible, no one else can do  _ that _ except for her!” he yelled as he sat up, wincing as the bruises he didn’t notice made their appearance well known. Without much resistance, he laid back down and sighed heavily.

One of them reached for his helmet which is a big no. So he reacted, he grabbed the offending tentacle and it squawked or warbled, one of the two, and the other Huragok wrapped around his forearm until he released it. “The helmet stays on, I don’t trust any of you.”  _ Plus, I probably look like absolute shit. Then again, why should it matter? _

They seemed to understand his words fluently, and immediately they all dropped their heads. One of them, the leader by the looks of them, touched a tentacle over his heart and his mind felt fuzzy for a second and strangely  _ warm _ . Not the warm he felt on the ground, just days prior, but like a heartwarming warm. They wanted him to trust them and it was hard not to. They  _ did _ just save his life, but how long would they continue doing so? Under his breath, “Why is it so hard to dislike you, creatures?”

Sebastian swears they chirped at his words, but said nothing more as he closed his eyes and thought about where he is now. The door opened and Sebastian turned, opened his eyes, saw the same armor from Sword Base. “Oh, it’s you,” he muttered, not at all preparing for the inevitable of him drawing his sword, making a threat, and then him following through on the said threat.

The Elite that walked in had the same gold armor and once he noticed Sebastian, he ignited his golden sword and snarled,  **“Why are you here, Demon?”**

Thankfully, Sebastian didn’t have to answer,  **“Because he is our prisoner, friend, so lay down your weapon.” ** The Elite that witnessed him falling off the table before came in as well, accompanied by two guards.  _ No surprise there. _

**“My sincerest apologies, Supreme Commander. I met this Demon while on an excursion down on this planet,”** he said before deeply bowing his head. _Some sort of royalty or is it just because he wants to be a suck-up?_

**“Go, I need a word with this one alone,” ** the Commander said before the guards exclaimed their outburst and he silenced them with a wave of his hand. Sebastian continued to lay down, the Huragok continued to inspect him, still prodding at his chest. The Guardian would have laughed, but his ribs were still reforming. Still unnatural, but damn it if it didn’t make his breathing better.  _ Two outta three ain’t bad. _

The Commander said something and the Huragok restained his arm and his body. Sebastian should be terrified, but he honestly expected this. So, he took a deep breath before he spoke first, “So, are you going to ask me questions, not get the answers you’re looking for, then torture me?” Sebastian put as much boredom and disinterest as he could muster into that question. However, on the inside, he was terrified at the prospect of their torture methods. The Commander stared, emotionless, before chuckling. Confusion crossed Sebastian’s face under the helmet before in a flash, his helmet was removed by one of the Huragok before he could protest and his nose got a nice whiff of all the scents previously blocked off. He scrunched his nose in disgust, but not saying anything else. Sebastian’s face was bruised in several places, his left cheek slightly swelled, his left eye was partially squinted shut, and his head hurt still like a bitch, but it seems that whatever these things did to his ribs, made some of the pain disappear. His face had dry blood surrounding his mouth, nose, and a little on his ears, from the ringing, yet he can still hear everything just fine. “There a reason you wanted to see my face, cause I don’t think you are my type,” Sebastian joked dryly.

The armor was a bright yellow, with orange accents, but it was guided with marks from what Sebastian could assume as battle scars. Sebastian saw how the others submitted to him, so he must be some sort of high political figure?

The Commander scoffed,  **“Humans, always thinking their ‘jokes’ are funny. That is not why I wanted to see your face.”** Sebastian went silent, not knowing what to say now. The Commander continued,  **“I wanted to see the face of a warrior. One who defied death.”**

Sebastian just stared at the Sangheili before him, his mouth opening and closing, “Excuse me?”

**“You heard me, Human. I see a warrior’s spirit in you, and much more,”** he said. **“Perhaps I should introduce myself. I am Supreme Commander Thel ‘Vadamee, leader of the ****_Fleet of_** **_Particular Justice_****.” **_Oh shit, the big boss alien? Oh fuck._

“Seb. It’s just Seb,” Sebastian replied in short, not really interested in having a conversation, less so with the Commander of all aliens.

**“You do not have a family name?” ** Thel asked with high amounts of confusion.  **“Don’t humans usually have a surname?”**

“How much do you know about Humans, uhm, Supreme Commander?” Might as well address him by his title. Sebastian did not feel like getting beat to a pulp by him. Judging from the small visible scars under his armor, safe to say that this Thel ‘Vadamee is no stranger to fighting or combat.

**“I admit, not as much as I would like. You failed to answer my question, ‘Seb’,” **his name sounding foreign to Sebastian’s own ears. It sounded gruff and hesitant coming from him. Judging by the wording and the tone, he is getting impatient.

“They normally do, but I don’t remember mine. The original one that is. It’s… difficult to explain,” It was not a total lie, he  _ does _ have one, but it was never originally his. So, sharing his last name isn’t something he wants to do. Sebastian should shut his trap, but this is the longest he’s ever interacted with one without it trying to kill him. The Huragok haven’t let go, but they were intrigued by his words. They too haven’t had much interaction with Humans. One of them put one of their tentacles on his head and that persistent warm feeling came back, making him sigh in short-lived relief.

Thel nodded, taking the explanation at face value knowing that it wasn’t the full story, and didn’t hold back on his next question, **“What are you and how can you do these extraterrestrial feats?”** _So he knows about this, but nothing else about Humans? This_ is where Sebastian elected not to say anything. This is what they wanted, and he refused to give it to them**. “Where is your construct, ‘Seb’?”**

Sebastian, once again, elected to say nothing. Thel sighed before standing,  **“Every warrior has their breaking point. You best pray to your Gods now, for they will not be shining upon you.”**

That was when the door opened and he saw five other Elites outside the door, one of them the female he has seen many times, the others… the group outside that she spoke to. Sebastian kept his face blank, but his heart started to beat rapidly in his chest.  **<<Do what you will, but he needs to be left ** ** _alive_ ** **, am I understood, Zesa?>> ** He spoke in Sangheili so Sebastian didn’t understand what was said.

Sebastian only saw them nod their heads and their smiles were far from gentle. All of them had a lot of teeth and they didn’t look like they were coming for a tea party.  _ Oh, I am so in for it now.  _ All five of them entered and his eyes grew wider as each one rolled their necks.  **“You disgust me Demon. I’ve wanted to do this since I saw you.” ** _ Is this where I make an obscene joke about how steamy this is going to get? I better keep my mouth shut then. _

One of the females that wasn’t the Stealth one spoke,  **“We’ll ask you a question and if we don’t like your answer, then…”** she let the threat hang in the air.

**“First question. Where is your construct?”** Sebastian closed his mouth, inhaled, exhaled and remained on the table. 

They didn’t like that, and soon enough, he was on the other side of the room, hand wrapped around his throat and he could faintly hear the sizzle of an energy dagger in his thigh. The smell of his burning flesh reaching his nostrils. Sebastian has experienced death, but it’s usually quick. They won’t be going fast, they intend to scar him, force him to give up the information. Something Sebastian will gladly die for. He didn’t scream, he didn’t struggle in her grasp, even as they all growled in their language.  **“Where did you come from? You aren’t one of those faceless Demons.” ** _ They aren’t faceless, asshole. You all just assume they are because they defend themselves from your slaughterhouse! _

Even in the chokehold, his eyes remained defiant and his mouth remained closed. His nose scrunched up as she pulled out the dagger and then stabbed him in his stomach. As per usual, he only made a sound as more of his blood flow from his mouth and down his chin. The female dropped him and then kicked him in his ribs and sent him sliding across the room, he grunted and held his hand over his chest, feeling the recently repaired bones break.

His beating continued for hours, each female taking as long as they wanted. The Huragok healed his external and his bones, but they couldn’t help him for the constant suffering he went through, psychologically. It will be a miracle if he doesn’t have any residual trauma when he gets out. Before they left, they each delivered a final hit to Sebastian and then ordered the Huragok to not help him. To let him suffer.

And suffer he shall.

* * *

When the female Elites were done with him, they reported to the Supreme Commander. Thel was on the bridge of his Flagship,  _ Seeker of Truth. _ He was informing the Prophets of the status of their invasion and the new acquisition that his one of a kind team collected. There were answers that were needed. No other Demon has shown these types of abilities and these were ones that the Prophets wished to exploit. Specifically, immortality. Thanks to the efforts of the team, they have footage of ‘Seb’ coming back to life.  _ The Covenant has eyes everywhere. _

These were the only five Female Sangheili in Thel ‘Vadamee’s fleet. He picked these five for each specific reason. Thel had gone to the Prophets and requested that they are allowed into his ranks and his ranks only. The Prophets have favored Thel for a long time, so they allowed it  _ if _ it benefitted the Covenant.

Zesa ‘Vrarum. The appointed leader of the squad, her leadership skills allows her to become the Special Operations Officer, wearing a modified version of the General gear. It is distinctly colored showing that she is not an  _ actual  _ General. It was colored in a lighter red, an important distinction, with dark purple accents. Zesa has some pull in previous battles and her strategic input helped Thel win some key battles. Unfortunately for her, she was not allowed to receive any credit, as it would not be widely accepted. Her Commander made sure to know that her efforts were appreciated, as she often converses with him to discuss strategy. She took this praise with pride and it re-enforced her honor. Many believed that being a Female in the Covenant army would be a dishonor.  _ Can you be dishonored if you were never given honor in the first place? _

Khaso ‘Malcamai. The Assassin and part of the team responsible for bringing ‘Seb’ in, along with her brother, Theg ‘Malcamai. Her work at suppressing high priority targets who dared threatened her Commander’s rule was invaluable. On one occasion, she saved his life as a heretic attempted to assassinate Thel ‘Vadamee at one point in time, not that he needed it, but appreciated the effort. When she killed the heretic, Thel took note of how she wielded a blade. He took her in and trained her as well when he had the time. So with what she knows, she became a Stealth Major. Her modified Spec-Ops armor, colored in the same shade of red as Zesa, allows her to have multiple daggers, physical and energy on her person. She at least got to use the physical ones a few times, but she prefers plasma. On another note, she is the most vicious one of the bunch. An unfathomable bloodlust.

Boxa ‘Vovumee. The close-quarters combat specialist. She prefers her enemies up close and personal. Being an officer is what makes her opponent underestimate her. She had fought many of her fellow Sangheili on the open roads of Sanghelios and at one point in time, Thel had seen her prowess in hand-to-hand combat and had kept a close eye on her. Her modified Ultra gear, which does not depict her rank in any form, shows multiple dents from sparring with other Sangheili, so she knows her opponents inside and out. Most of the Sangheili on the  _ Seeker of Truth _ know that she can and will kick their ass. Boxa prefers beating her opponents down rather than killing but is close behind Khaso in her viciousness. 

Roea ‘Goram. Weapons specialist. Knows every Covenant and  _ Demon _ weapon under the Suns. She takes great pride in her weapons and makes sure her brothers  _ and _ sisters are well equipped to take down any threat. She could tell you the condition of a weapon without even picking it up, whether it fires, whether it has ammo lying around if it’s a  _ human  _ weapon and if it’s charged or not if it’s plasma-based. Thel had thrown multiple tests at her, going from disassembling to reassembly, to weapon tests, and even going as far as explosive disarmament. She is a vital part of the team that her sisters value her word when it comes to reason. Roea is the voice of reason for the team, will be violent if given a reason, but is the least vicious of the group. Her altered Minor armor gives off the appearance of harmlessness, but push her the wrong way, and she will retaliate.

Shoya ‘Revamee. The Ranger, the scout, however one puts it. She was the child who would disappear and come back hours later, perfectly fine bringing back something once thought lost, an old Sangheili relic, one that the Presitesses had used and was lost some time ago. She always explored the land until every stone was turned. Her armor is the Ranger, colored in that red shade as every other female. The accents were another shade of red, but they contrasted nicely. Her armor came with a modified jetpack for better control and maneuverability. She lies in the middle of the rage scale, and some might even say, she is bipolar, if that is even possible for Sangheili.

Thel had just finished delivering his report as the five females entered the bridge, all of them with the smell of the human’s blood on them.  **<<Is he alive?>> ** he asked not turning around as of yet. He was filing a report on his actions, hoping to take notes on this Human. When he turned around, he noticed that Roea has some stains on her armor, which was quite the surprise. Moving to the not surprising one, Khaso. It looked like she bathed in his blood, her lighter armor looked around five to six shades darker.

Zesa responded, bowing as she did,  **<<He refused to tell us anything. Even Khaso had started to cut his other limb off. Resilient, this Demon. He barely made a sound, even though all of us went at him. We’ve ordered the Huragok to not tend to him, to let him think about answering your questions.>>**

Thel turned to look at them,  **<<A warrior he is. One who does not give up anything, even in the face of his own death. Curious… He did not tell you where his construct was? Nor did he say anything about his gift?>>**

**<<No, Supreme Commander.>>**

**<<Was there anyone with him at the crash site?>> ** He questioned the group, maybe he had hidden it or sent it away…

**<<No one else survived. One of the Demons reported was obliterated in the destruction of the ** ** _Long Night of Solace_ ** **. Even if they made it off the ship, a Demon could not survive a fall from that height,>> ** Khaso replied bowing as well.

**<<Go, clean your armor, sisters, and wait for my command,>> ** Thel said to the group.

**<<Yes, Supreme Commander,>> ** the group replied in unison.

Thel continued to gaze out over the bridge and to the planet below before walking to go see ‘Seb’ and see if he actually lived. Sometimes, the females can get carried away.

* * *

Sebastian hurt in places he didn’t know that could. His armor was pretty much shredded at this point, he was dripping blood in places he didn’t know was possible for blood to even get to. He was lying on the floor in a small pile of his own life. He refused to be moved as any small movement would hurt, but through all that, he never made a sound. Many times he wanted to pass out, but if he did, then all the pain he has been harboring since their separation, then Dove would feel what he is at four times the amount. In short, it’ll make Dove comatose. The last he wanted to do was send her away, and she is important to him, always will be.

The Huragok had moved him, or at least, tried to. He grumbled every time they got close and they didn’t want to go against his wishes. They all took an interest in him. They wanted to heal something because  _ that’s _ what they do. They can somewhat heal him as Dove does. The problem is, he feels the bones mending together again and the bruising on his body detests it, almost making him whimper in pain. The only thing that’s keeping him from actually crying out in pain, was the fact that he was thinking about Dove and what he would do if he lost her. Those dark, morbid thoughts were more painful than any physical torture ever will be. Him being a bonded Guardian separated from his Ghost is something that he would never wish on anyone, even those Guardians who don’t exactly follow pleasant morals. He laid on the floor and remained unmoving and barely breathing. Sebastian only opened up one eye and saw that the room looked much worse than it is. He doesn’t remember much of it, but he does know that he is most definitely not in optimal condition.

The door opened and Sebastian looked to see another set of armored feet. His voice weak, “Back for... more?”

**“You aren’t healed. Why?” ** The Sangheili Commander asked not at all concerned that the room smelled like his blood.

“They were ordered... to not touch... me for... some time,” he explained simply. “I know...what you want… and I  _ will _ die before I give up. I’ve been through… much worse than this,” his words got softer and softer as his sentence went on. He was on the verge of passing out but he continued to fight that feeling, even if he knew that it would soon overtake him.

**“So, I was right then. You do have a warrior’s spirit in you. A spirit that has suffered much pain and much loss and yet you still persevere through it all. I can see you will not break easily, and yet, you could end it all if you just tell me what I want to know,” ** Thel said before ordering the Huragok to tend to him. Can’t have an important asset dying on his watch, he will most likely have to talk to Khaso about practicing a little restraint when it comes to ‘interrogation’.

Sebastian couldn’t hold it back as he was lifted off the ground, gently, but that set fire to his body and he shouted in pure pain. Thel watched wordlessly for a few moments before speaking,  **“Ahh, so you ** ** _do_ ** ** respond to pain. Good.”**

Sebastian never felt so much anger than he did right now, “Fuck… you,” he said through heavy breathing and gritted teeth. As he was set down on the table, Thel took notice of the many many burn marks and scars littered across his arm and chest. Since most of his armor was shredded, his skin is slightly visible. His skin-tight suit has holes in it, but it was made with Dove’s healing protocol in it, so the holes were subtly closing. Not noticeable now, but Sebastian wouldn’t be able to hide it if he was really paying attention.

**“Careful, ‘Seb’, you still have your tongue. You best watch what you say, because unlike me, the females have a… how do you Humans say? ‘Shorter fuze’ than myself. One of them might just carve out your tongue if you speak in such a manner,”** he warned the Human.

Sebastian would rather take his chances if he doesn’t have a tongue, then he wouldn’t be able to tell them anything. However, the tired and exhausted feeling from his ‘session’ made his eyes droop. Sebastian swears he heard the Commander say something else, but at that point, his head dropped as well.

There was an echo in his mind and it sounded sweet, warm, familiar... until the cold feeling returned with a vengeance. His wall that he was holding up for this entire time came crashing down. The cold coiled around his heart and squeezed and that usually meant… “Dove!” he shouted in agony and his world went black once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter than the last three, but that's because I didn't move on right after they fell, and this is kind of a chapter I never expected to write, but it sounded and felt comforting to write, not in a sick sense, but a storywise sense.
> 
> Next chapter is the ladies focus. So, stay tuned.
> 
> -Horus


	15. Down, But Not Out

Noting that New Alexandria had suffered from damage, Faye made quick haste towards the source of the distant battle. As soon as she vaulted over walls, her leg flared in pain but she didn’t acknowledge it. Meanwhile, Dove silently worried in the pocket dimension, worried about her, worried about Faye, and worried about Sebastian. She swears she can feel her Guardian through it, but she can’t get anything to him. Unless… _ He’s blocking out his feelings from the separation. _ She sent plea after plea, but the mental wall was too strong, even for her. Dove would never force her way into his mind, not even if he was in a coma. There are some things that are not meant to be trifled with. If she messed with his mind, it could have adverse effects.

The distance between them physically was too vast, she can barely feel his soul, burning as bright as it can be, but it was like looking through some fog with a headlight; it only reflected your own light back to you. All the while, Dove has to make sure that Faye doesn’t get herself killed. _ “So, what is your plan, Faye?” _

“Simple. Go in, kill Covenant, and then save as many people as I can,” her tone simple, clipped, but those words were a cover for her worry. As a matter of fact, she was just as worried as Dove, if not more, and she doesn’t know why it is making her feel much more antsy than normal. Faye took careful steps as she entered a rundown café. Once she deemed it clear, Faye asked a question that would make her sound _ clingy _, borderline desperate, “Dove? Is it possible for you to contact him? To send a message through your link?”

_ “I’ve been trying, to no avail. He won’t let just anyone in his head. I happen to be the one exception in some cases. I am his Ghost, but there is a line that we don’t cross, and it’s directly interacting with our Guardian’s mind. That is a line that must stay clear.” _ Dove audibly sighed and her voice broke, _ “I miss him as much as you do if not, more. We’ve never had to separate before, and I feel as if I’ve failed…” _ Dove trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.

Faye remained still, stunned, in fact. All her private thoughts on what Dove was, something that she didn’t think could be human, is acting _ more _ human than the human herself. It smacked Faye in the face with realization, _ he is good for me. I’ve finally felt something, and now… I need him here. _ “Dove? Could you come out here… please?” Faye whispered, her voice faltering piece by piece.

Dove paused in her dimension but obliged; she appeared and Faye took note of how dim her azure optic looked compared to a week ago. It was full of life, but now it looked like someone kicked her to the curb. Her shell was dirty, covered in soot, and had some other scratches in it. Doing one last scan of the immediate area, Faye had to break a rule. A rule to never take off her helmet in combat, _ ‘Because without it, you are just as easy of a target as the Marines.’ _ her CO’s words from basic rang in the back of her mind. Right now, she’s not worried.

Her hands went to her helmet and took it off, the hissing from the helmet audible in the immediate vicinity. The Spartan set her helmet down next to her and she probably looked like a stressed-out mess. Her raven-colored hair managed to stay in the tight bun, but her brown eyes showed her weariness. Faye held her hand out and much to her surprise, the Ghost didn’t appear in her hand, Dove appeared right next to her face. When she turned, Faye’s voice was merely a murmur, “You haven’t failed. You did what he asked you to do, and now we have to be strong for him, and for each other.”

Dove felt _ comforted _ and she just didn’t have the words to express her thanks. So, she pressed her fins against Faye’s cheek and went to Faye’s neck and settled there, just seeking comfort that Faye was attempting to provide. Faye didn’t move, she didn’t speak, she didn’t breathe for a moment; she just sat there on the ground of the rundown coffee shop with Sebastian’s Ghost in between her armor’s neck plates. Her hand went to her cheek, astounded that she did that, and she only does that when… _ she trusts me at almost the same level as him. _ Once her self-reflecting moment was over, the Spartan found her voice, “He’ll make it through it, I don’t doubt it. He made it out before, didn’t he?”

A small whimper came from Dove, “He has, but he’s always had me to help console him. It would be a test to his strength and will. I just miss him.”

In order to avoid the dark pit that was negative emotions, “What does his ‘Light’ feel like?” Faye couldn’t help the curiosity she had. If this force, this Light, was something tangible, something that can be felt, what _ does _it feel like?

Dove allowed the change of subject to happen since she knows that Faye was only trying to help and she was not the only one suffering from his loss, “Depends on the element. His Sol Attunement feels like a small Sun or just a large campfire, except it covers every angle, no spots left cold. His Arc Attunement is a constant rush of adrenaline, always hopped up, always fidgeting, eager for the next fight. As for Void Attunements, he doesn’t possess it, as of yet. He knows what it can do but it comes at great risk, not just to himself, but to others around him. He’s said it before, I believe; that one can lose their minds if it overpowers them. The Void is a delicate balance, a very thin line, for Hunters that is. Warlocks and Titans have it easy compared to the latter. They have a natural attunement whilst Hunters have to forge their attunement. We call them ‘Nightstalkers’, and not many even exist, so much so, that they’ve almost become extinct.” Dove wistfully explained. Dove misses him, even though it has been a couple of hours at most, but with each passing minute, Dove feels like her connection to him was weakening as the metaphorical fog was only getting thicker. Her connection is as strong as before, but as one would scramble a signal, it causes interference, making one believe that it was never there at all.

“We’ll get him back, we just have to trust that he can make it,” Faye said off to the side, her voice much softer than before. She made a motion to stand while grabbing her helmet. Dove floated away from Faye’s neck and just waited close by. The female Spartan turned her visor to look at herself and only wants this war to end. Upon closer inspection of her helmet, she noticed the small bags under her eyes, well that would be because of the stress of the past twenty-four hours. The helmet was turned and placed over her head, the hissing of the seals being reapplied before Dove disappeared again and hummed inside of Faye’s armor.

_ “He better make it. I am going to scold him so much that even Light burn will seem minor,” _ Dove grumbled to herself, but her voice projected through Faye’s armor speakers. As much as she didn’t want to, Faye let out a small chuckle, and she wanted to see this scolding. It would be quite a sight. The Spartan’s HUD started up again as everything recalibrated to her eyes. Once she got the green light from all of her suit systems, she set off, leaving the coffee shop and headed to another building across the Boardwalk. Dove reached out through the local channels under Faye’s alias to not cause any other disturbances.

_ “Faye, there are some Marines teams fighting off Covenant forces and they are requesting assistance. What entrance do you want to take?” _Dove warbled.

Taking out her Magnum and flicking off the safety, “The front door, of course.”

* * *

Running through multiple buildings, Faye had _ finally _ run into some Covenant, Skirmishers, specifically. They either didn’t hear her, or they were too busy shooting at other things. Faye had taken akin to stealth, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t going to kick in the front door at one point or another. Dove managed to patch into comms and this was the first thing she heard, _ “This is Kilo Dispatch. All available team advance to Traxus Tower. Evacuation will commence ASAP.” _

Another voice came through the feed as Faye remained silent, _ “Copy dispatch, what’s the status of the tower pad?” _ It must be the LZ that they are going for.

_ “Tower pad is green. Let’s move these civilians before that changes.” _The other voice on the feed acknowledged before Faye continue heading through the plethora of buildings before making it to some stairs. Her pistol was drawn as she locked eyes on a Covenant Skirmisher. When there was one, there were multiple. It was no doubt just a warm-up of what was to come. Five shots barked from the muzzle of her Magnum before the Skirmishers were killed, their violet blood leaking from the wounds inflicted on their heads.

Wordlessly, Faye entered another building just as Dove heard, _ “Romeo Company, be advised. We have reports of Covenant suicide squads.” _

_ “You got to be kidding me,” _ one Trooper said, showing his distaste towards them. Dove grimaced at the thought of those Grunts just charging people and killing themselves like that.

Faye took careful steps through the building, her breaths even, but her guard was on high. Every little movement, every creak of the metal had her hesitating, checking behind herself over and over. The suicide Grunts have taken out a lot of people, and some of them flashback into her mind, on the Super Carrier, just to name some. Faye had stopped in her tracks as she heard footsteps that were not her own. That and the sound of the Unggoy language gave it away. She was backing away from the doorway she was just at, and that was the moment that the faint blue hue from plasma grenades rounded the corner. The Grunts were shouting madness as they attempted to rush the Spartan, hellbent on dying and taking her with them. Dove squeaked a little before apologizing quickly as Faye dispatched rounds from her Magnum into the first line of Grunts.

Said first Grunt dropped dead, releasing its now primed plasma grenades. The other Grunts didn’t get the memo and as a result, exploded, sending their grenades flying and killing the rest of them. Faye knew that when there was one squad, there were multiple squads. Faye had slowly turned the corner after the explosions died down, Magnum reloaded and raised. More Grunts were significantly on the right than the left. With Faye’s luck, she went to the right. The Grunts immediately went suicide as they saw her, screaming ‘Die, Demon.’ Faye vaulted over a railing to the left side of the room. Oddly enough, explosions were heard. “Did the Grunts just…?”

_ “Apparently so, keep moving please,” _ the Ghost urged her onwards. Faye fired five more shots and killed the last Grunt. She grabbed its Plasma Pistol and holstered it to her thigh.

“How much further until Traxus Tower?” Faye breathed out before peering outside. The sounds of a high-intensity shot rang through the air, allowing a sonic boom to be heard. There was a small ringing that only increased as a second shot rang out.

A message came up on Faye’s visor, _ ‘Close by and marked.’ _ Faye looked up to see one of the taller buildings being flashed on her visor. Once the slight ringing in her ears died down, she stepped around the corner, Magnum raised. As she got further down the stairs, the troopers took notice and exclaimed, “A Spartan? Where the hell did she come from?”

“Space,” she replied before scavenging an Assault Rifle off the ground and found ammo for it. She turned to see the Troopers’ mouths ajar, surprised that the Spartan spoke, one. Two, said Spartan made a joke. “I think I broke them, Dove,” she muttered to herself.

_ “Yeah, because normally Spartans don’t speak, nor make jokes. Se- My Guardian has rubbed off on you more than I originally thought,” _ Dove hesitated on his name again. It was at that moment when she cried out in pain.

Faye stopped in her tracks and held out her hand, where Dove appeared, instinctually, on command. Her shell just laid in her hand, no visible damage anywhere. Faye put the rifle on her back and cradled Dove in her hands, “What’s wrong, Dove?” This gained the attention of the Troopers present. They were murmuring at what was in the Spartan’s hand as none of them have ever seen it before.

“Th-they are hurting him… _ torturing _ him. Hi-His mental barrier fell and the pain slipped through. I-I need him back, Madame Spartan… I-” Dove’s eye flickered before she cut herself off. The former noticed that she said ‘Madame Spartan’, then again, the Marines just think they don’t have names, and that’s far from the truth.

“Are you alright, little one?” Faye whispered to the Ghost. Dove looked into the visor of Faye before shaking. Faye was certain that if Dove could cry, she would be. The Spartan didn’t need words for this and just held her close.

The moment was broken as a gun went off and it impacted Faye’s shields. With a look down to Dove, she disappeared and remained there while Faye reached for her rifle and unloaded shots into the Brutes that ambushed them. During the firefight, Faye knocked one of their helmets off and it came barreling towards her. Her rifle soon clicked empty and the Brute did not die. Faye wretched a knife from her chest sheath and took a page out of Sebastian’s book. Throwing knives. The Spartan gripped the knife by the blade and hurled it towards the Brute. It sailed towards the target and the Brute didn’t see it coming, blinded by its rage.

The knife sunk into its face before it seemed to shake it off and continue its mission. It almost reached Faye but dropped soon after. Faye wasn’t satisfied, so she grabbed her Magnum and unloaded the clip into its face. She then reached down and grabbed the knife and with very little resistance, it slipped out from the Brute’s face. Meanwhile, two other Brutes roared as Faye reloaded her weapons, cleaned the knife, and cracked her knuckles. They are messing with a Spartan who has had enough for one day. Not only did her teammate die, but her other teammate has also been captured, _ and _ said teammate entrusted her with his lifeline.

In a blink, Faye had gotten around a Brute before grabbing its jaw and using her other hand, stabbing it in the throat three times, she jumped off of the first Brute as the second one was barreling its way towards her. However, it never made it as it was gunned down by the Troopers. Faye looked over and nodded appreciatively, which made grins appear on their faces. One of them turned away and put a hand on their helmet, “Evac team 7 to Kilo 26, we have eyes on Traxus tower.”

The response was projected into Faye’s helmet, _ “Copy evac team 7. Move to assist the evac!” _

Faye was worried for Dove and tried to reach out to her, but received no immediate response, only the buzzing inside her helmet. Under her breath, “Dove, you need to talk to me.”

_ “It hurts, Faye. It hurts that I can’t help him, and he’s suffering. I knew I should have gone with him, I’d be able to help him escape!” _ she cried.

“Have faith in him, Dove. He’ll make it out,” even though the words were said, she didn’t truly believe them one hundred percent, but Faye had to be strong for both of them. The Covenant were ruthless and they would do anything to get what they want, and now that they have what they want, what now?

_ “I do, but it’s the Covenant I’m worried about. He wouldn’t shout in pain like that. I’ve been keeping an eye on his vitals as best as I can. They dropped and then they are restored soon after. It’s like someone else is healing him, like how I can, but that’s impossible. Only the Guardian’s Ghost could properly heal them. No other being besides myself can do that,” _ Dove vented, feeling frazzled.

Faye stewed over this new information as she gestured for the Troopers to lead the way. Once they were inside the building, the PA system was going off periodically. “Someone shut that damn thing off!” yelled one of the Troopers.

Once they made it to the elevator, Faye pressed the button to send the elevator up. Dove noticed that it was going down and not up, saying there were already people on it. That was confirmed as the response was heard, _ “Uh, we’re evacuating a group of civilians on the floor below you. As soon as they reach the cargo port, I’ll send the elevator back up.” _

Faye rolled her eyes and checked over her weapons again as the sounds of Covenant vessels entered the area. “We got dropships, Troopers, stand your ground. Civilians, find any sort of cover!” Faye ordered everyone in the immediate area. The Troopers got their weapons ready as more Brutes dropped into the Courtyard.

Faye didn’t remember the aftermath, all she knew was that the Brutes lied dead, and the civilians were safe. Meanwhile, Dove watched Faye perform at effective efficiency, on par with the ninetieth percentile of other Guardians, and that was _ without _ the Light flowing through her veins. Her accuracy was on point, each shot hit their target, each shot hit the places that she knew would do the most damage, and it seemed like her mind just tuned everything out. At one point, her shields broke and she begged Faye to take cover, but it fell on deaf ears. While it may have been the last enemy in the courtyard, it still could have wounded her. The good thing is the biofoam is still holding. It seemed to be hardening, and when she gets a chance, she will make the Spartan get treatment. If left untreated, the wounds could heal wrong, causing further problems down the line.

Once she got into the elevator, Faye shook her head, not remembering anything over the past few minutes, however, her muscles felt strained. “Dove, what happened?”

_ “Oh, now you respond to me!” _ Dove snapped. _ Is this part of the emotional downfall that he mentioned? _

“Dove. What happened? The last thing I remember is the dropships coming in,” Faye mused.

One of the troopers who was on their radio answered, “You turned into the Spartans that most people hear them as. Cold, unwavering, and just downright ruthless. You killed most of the Brutes, even though your shields were down for at least half of it. I’m surprised that you didn’t suffer any Spiker wounds from it.”

Faye stopped and turned towards the wall, watching the lights pass by while in the elevator. Did she really blackout that much where she didn’t even feel it? A voice came over the radio, _ “If you're trying to get into the tower, you're too late Lieutenant. Corvette over the starport pounded the hell out of the place. Cargo port is impassable on foot, rooftop evacs are lost. We can use the executive landing pad except there's no easy way to get there. A group of ODST specialists are working on a plan. They might appreciate some back-up.” _

The elevator stopped and the door opened, revealing wounded civilians. Faye stepped out while the Trooper wished her luck. She doesn’t need it but has a vague appreciation for the sentiment. “On the other side of the hall there, Lieutenant. By the triage.”

As she rounded the corner, ODSTs were aiming at Banshees and firing rockets, blowing them out of the sky. This moment pulled her back to Sword Base, where Sebastian was shooting them out of the sky with his favorite launcher. Faye smiled at the little memory, but it caused her heart to ache. She missed him, more than she was willing to admit. “Radio’s buzzing about you, Spartan. You feel like jumping?” Watching the ODSTs move off to the right, her head turned towards an ammo crate that had DMRs in it. The small smile turned wicked once she reached for the DMR, keeping the Magnum on her thigh.

Once she was satisfied, she joined the ODSTs in a side room where jetpacks were mounted on the wall. Under the helmet, an eyebrow was raised before she walked over and put the jetpack on her back, fastening it to her armor. “Welcome to the Bullfrogs. Other side, on my mark. 3, 2, 1, jump!”

On cue, the ODSTs leaped to platforms just a tad longer than a normal human leap. Sebastian probably wouldn’t need a jetpack, no. He would take this time to show off his double jumping abilities. Faye shook her head before taking a running start and leaping to the platform, activating her jetpack at the apex of her jump. She glided over with ease before she landed with a slight bend of her knees. “We’re going to capture the landing pad on the executive wing so the evac birds can land. Try to keep up, Spartan.” 

Dove appeared as they jumped to the next platform, “This reminds me of Warlocks who have their glide,” her voice getting softer and weaker. The Ghost was now aimlessly floating over the railing.

“Dove, come back here, now,” Faye ordered the Ghost, masking her concern with direct orders. She ignored the ODSTs wondering what the hell Dove is. All the while, Dove ignored Faye and started feeling lightheaded, if that was even possible for a Ghost.

“This is so pretty, I wish he could see it…” Dove turned to Faye, and the latter saw the optic flickering, much more than earlier. Faye was ready at a moment’s notice to go after her.

Dove felt light as a cloud, like in her own dreamland. Her mind is slowly going downhill because of their separation. While these symptoms shouldn’t have as much as an effect on her, they are. Simply for the reason of being in a different universe. If a Ghost and Guardian are separated, the Traveler gives them a feeling of warmth, not the same amount as what the respective party could give. This was that cold feeling. Seeing that the Traveler isn’t here, this feeling, was much worse than normal. Through Dove’s vision, she only saw the Tower balcony and she was looking at Rosa. The next words came out slurred, “Oh hey… Rosa! I thought you were dead!”

Faye didn’t know how to respond, but held her hand out, silently begging for Dove to come back. Dove then froze in her place as the fog in her mind completely covered Sebastian’s spark, but it wasn’t the fog, it was the spark itself. It went out. She futilely searched and searched for it, but when she got to the other side, it was too much. The pain that he was holding back for her came at Dove at full force. Sebastian would only give up if he broke or he… “Seb!” Dove screamed before her shell was falling out of the air. Her world went black. All that was left was herself. Her Guardian had died, at least that’s what was believed. Unbeknownst to her, Sebastian was very much alive, but his body slipped into a coma-like state. The resulting barrier he had shattered and it was holding it back from her. The pain that was being held back struck at Dove’s core, aiming at the spots where their souls intertwined. It felt like something cut it out of her completely.

Faye had thrown herself over the side, reaching for her. The ODST expressed what was the Spartan doing, but continued along, checking below them, just in case she came back up. As soon as Dove came into Faye’s care, Faye made a silent promise to herself. That promise was to make sure Dove does not fall into enemy hands and to make sure she lives to see him again. The darker colored shell was a little difficult to see in the light, but Faye had her eyes set on it. She activated her jetpack to send herself closer to Dove, hand outstretched.

The ground was closing in fast, ten seconds at best. It would not be a pretty fall nor a good story. The Spartan-III reached and nipped her fingertips on the shell, sending it into a small reverse rotation, which allowed her to grab the shell. Faye couldn’t celebrate just yet, she flipped herself upright and activated her jetpack, the ground floor was close and she pulled herself back as the ground was around fifty feet away, but her velocity was much too great.

Even though the jetpack was straining against the forces applied to it, the Spartan was sent tumbling on the ground, causing the biofoam in Faye’s armor to snap, not that she would feel it right away, but she certainly would when she wakes again. At the same time, Faye’s grip on Dove’s shell never faltered. Not until they stopped skidding on the ground and smashed into a sidewall. The jetpack took the brunt of it and as a result, was more than likely broken. Faye fought to stay conscious, and miraculously, she did.

Once her vision cleared and the Spartan got her bearings back, she stood up, put some weight on her leg and grunted. “Damn it, that’s not good.” Faye held her hand out, still clutching Dove’s shell. “Dove?” No response. “Dove, come back… please?” Still nothing. “Dove…” the ghost still didn’t respond, but she would be determined to get her to come back. The only thing that Faye really needs was Sebastian, and not just for her sake, but for his Ghost.

* * *

  
  


Faye didn’t know how far she fell, but it must have been pretty far, considering the number of distress calls coming in, all looking for her. She couldn’t answer as she doesn’t know if the Covenant were lurking about, hunting for her, or if they tapped the comms. She needed a new jetpack because there was no way she was getting back up there easily without one.

Turning her head, finally looking around, she noticed she was at the base of Traxus Tower. Her jetpack sparked, jarring her attention to get it off. With a few tweaks and straps and buttons, the jetpack was thrown away. Now that it was out of the way, she began to stand up. A struggle it was to get up off the ground, but she did, feeling numerous amounts of pain shoot up through her arm. Apparently, when she landed, she may have tumbled on her arm and her armor couldn’t lock up because if it did, it would have broken her arm from the sudden stop of momentum. Her leg was in pain and felt like it was grating on itself.

Having stood up and finally started moving around, Faye put Dove in one of her baggy padded pouches. Since she couldn’t go back into the module, she would have to carry the Ghost for now. Faye limped along and found a cache hidden in the back of some rundown store. The store’s sign, signifying its name, was blasted clean off, so it will remain nameless. Her pistol remained, as did the DMR, thankfully.

This cache had three perfectly good jetpacks, and Faye helped herself, triple checking the pack was secure before limping out of the store and looking for points she could sit and rest in between bursts. Multiple buildings had some sort of balconies and other protruding architecture. “Dove, you will see him again, and when you do, never let him go,” Faye said as she took off. Under the rumbling and noise of the jetpack, Faye didn’t hear nor feel the vibration that the shell gave, urging her to pay attention.

When Dove’s world went black, she went into deep hibernation. She’s not dead, but she’s not alive. A Shrodinger’s Ghost is something that can be used to describe Dove’s current state. While in this state, she was searching for Sebastian and went through every avenue she could think of, looking for her Guardian. She knew that there was no way the Covenant would kill him, not until they had the information they needed. Torture was one hundred percent on the table for the Covenant. Then, Dove was running rampant in her mind where she felt a wisp of warmth. The same warmth that her Guardian gives off. The fog surrounds her, but the warmth feels like it was pulling Dove in a certain direction. So, she followed the warm feeling through the fog and saw a spec of light come through and that made her rush forward to see his spark, glowing brightly.

This put Dove at ease and she laid her shell on the ground of her mind. She took what she could get. _ ‘I’m sorry Do...I cou...keep…at…bay!’ _The connection was clear at first, but it was mostly a garbled mess.

_ ‘Guard- Sebastian?’ _ Dove reached through their link, trying to find the source of it, but to no avail. It did, however, confirm one thing. Sebastian was still _ alive. _ That meant he could get out of there, wherever there is.

On the outside, Faye was scaling skyscrapers. The jetpack made for a great boost to momentum, but not great for brakes in some cases. Faye has almost made it back to where she originally fell off. Faye kept checking the pouch where Dove resided, just to make sure that she was still there. That promise will be kept, no matter what.

Having almost reached the platforms, Faye let out a small sigh of relief. That was quickly changed as Covenant soldiers noticed Faye coming back up. So, she had to maneuver around the central column of the platform to stay out of sight. What made her feel better, was the sound of the UNSC weaponry being discharged. Faye took the opportunity to use her good leg and push off the column to grab on to the railing above her. Thankfully, she is strong enough to pull herself just enough to get a leg on the platform before throwing herself over the bar and lean against the platform’s pillar. “You look like hell, Lieutenant,” one of the ODSTs said.

“How long was I gone?” Faye asked, cutting off all the nonsense.

The ODST huffed, “About ten minutes. I’m going to ask why you jumped over the side for that AI. Couldn’t you just get a new one? Also, your armor looks like it has seen better days.”

Faye almost snapped at him but kept her composure. Looking down at the front of her armor, most of her chest piece had a bunch of scratches and gashes. This will be a good story to tell. “This one is irreplaceable, especially since I’m holding onto her for someone. Now, point me to the enemy and I will begin taking care of them,” she said standing on both legs, ignoring the pain in her right leg. She grabbed her DMR and looked over to the platforms on the opposite side of the area. Multiple Brutes were standing there on alert.

Faye picked a target and started firing. She would catch up, so she sent them forward around the right side of the platforms, where there was a little hallway, so they have some cover. After reloading, Faye would always check the pouch where Dove is, praying that she wakes up soon. Once, she killed the third Brute, Faye used her jetpack to move forward, to draw the Covenant’s fire so the ODSTs can make a move.

“Noble Six to Bullfrogs, you are clear to engage,” she said as she pulled the bolt back on the DMR, priming a new round into the chamber. More gunfire was heard from the ODSTs as they cut down the remaining Brutes and Grunts. Faye made a motion to get up and immediately almost went back down from the pain. _ It must be worse than I thought. Dove, wake up. _

Gritting her teeth, Faye jetpacked over to the ODSTs and landed with a slight wobble, which one of them noticed, and gave the Spartan a look. Faye shook it off and moved on. Spartans don’t show weakness, and this pain is the weakness. “Are you green, ma’am?”

“I am,” she looked quickly at his shoulder pad, “Gunny. Take point, I’ll catch up.”

Gunny hesitated before telling the rest of the Bullfrogs to move up with caution as they advance to Traxus Tower. Faye was limping much more so now, but she couldn’t rest. Not until the fight is over, and looking up into the sky, seeing multiple Covenant Corvettes in the sky, all looking eerily down at the surface of Reach. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she limped along with the rest of the ODSTs.

Limping through other hallways, Faye came outside to see the extraction pad. “Spartan! Over here,” an ODST called her. She met up with the soldiers and got the situation. A bunch of Covenant soldiers were perched up in the extraction zone and in order to get these people out of here, it had to be cleared.

Faye nodded at the soldier’s words and noticed a few weapons scattered on the wall, one of them being a Rocket Launcher. “Say, no one is going to use that, right?” she pointed towards the aforementioned launcher with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“No, ma’am, no one has even made a motion towards it. It’s bad enough we are fighting the Covies, but we don’t have the space for this weapon,” he reported, already knowing that the Spartan is going to take it.

“Well in that case,” Faye scooped up the launcher and checked that it has four rockets, perfect. She was still limping, but not as noticeable as before. As soon as she was able, she was going to have to possibly rebreak it to allow it to sit correctly because, with all this movement, it could be doing more harm than good. The ODSTs and Troopers that were present followed the Spartan as they rushed the tower killing the Grunts that lined the wall. Faye put the rockets on her back and used her DMR to shoot the Grunts on the turrets and then the Jackals that arrived soon after. The troops behind her were careful enough and loud enough to announce that they were throwing grenades. She only had to make sure that if the throw went wrong, she could move out of the way quick enough. With the support of the troops behind her, they made their way inside the lounge area of the executive lobby. Some of the other troopers stayed behind with the civilians to make sure the Covenant don’t try anything with them.

The lobby was full of Brutes and a single Brute Chieftain, one who is wielding that giant hammer, in the back, closest to the doors leading to the landing pad. The troops spread out along the top floors and waited for Faye’s order. She held up her hand, all fingers extended, telling them to get ready, before it turned into a fist, signaling them to open fire. Weapons discharged, bullets ricocheted, targets were killed.

Brutes holding Spikers fired in returned while the Chieftain snarled and slammed his hammer into the ground, shaking the room just a little. His eyes were set on Faye, seeing the armor and started running towards her. Faye had just taken out another Brute, saving an ODST, before she turned to see the Chieftain leap into the air. She got up from her cover quickly to back up, and thankfully she did. When the Brute landed, it would have crushed her, the floor had dented in. She backed up even further to avoid the wide hammer swing.

Unfortunately, her leg detested the movement and her stance slipped just a little bit. The Chieftain took the opportunity to attack and the kick it sent her way sent her backward, the jetpack grinding along the floor. The resulting blow sent her launcher off her back and off to the left.

When she got hit, the wind got knocked out of her, much like how Sebastian had the air knocked out of him back at the AA gun. Faye first checked to see if Dove was fine, and once she did, she pounded on her chest to kickstart her lungs to get much-needed oxygen in her system. The Brute growled, pleased with himself as it forewent the hammer and cracked his knuckles, ready to pounce. Once he was finished, he marched over to the Spartan’s prone form and interlocked his hands and brought them over his head. Faye watched and readied herself, if she fails, well, the best thing that could happen was a collapsed lung, the worst thing that could happen was death.

He roared once more and brought his hands down. Faye moved out of the way, twisting her body to the left, making the Brute’s hands collide with the floor and not her. Once he raised his hands off the ground, Faye returned the pounce.

She brought her knife out and stabbed him in the neck, then hooking her legs on his chest armor and with all her strength, she launched him over the side, through the protective glass. The screams of the Brute echoed as he fell down a numerous amount of stories. Once the screaming mostly faded from her hearing, she slowly sat up, the ODSTs who remained came to her side. “Are you alright, Spartan?”

“Don’t worry about me, call the birds in, get these people out of here,” she said as she used the wall to stand. Once she was leaned against the wall with her left hand supporting her. She took one step on her right leg and it felt like someone just shattered it. She stumbled and the ODST medic saw and immediately was drawing a conclusion.

“You’ve broken your leg, and whatever you just did made it worse,” the medic said before inspecting her leg. “How long has it been like this?”

“How long has it been since the Super Carrier has been taken down?” Faye asked, gritting her teeth through the pain. It will not consume her.

“Five hours,” the medic replied simply.

“Since I woke up after it being taken down,” Faye said, taking a deep breath. She had to admit, she was a little jealous of Dove’s ability to heal Sebastian as she can. Something like that would prove beneficial to every Spartan on the field if it could be replicated.

“You’ve been walking on an injured leg for five hours?!” the medic exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

“I had biofoam, but after fetching something and falling a long way, it knocked it loose upon landing not so nicely. Had to make an entrance,” she explained factually.

The medic groaned, “Thankfully, I have extra biofoam to spare, it’ll hold, but for the love of Reach, please seek attention when you get the chance. I say this knowing you probably won’t heed it, but I’m required to tell you this.”

Once the biofoam entered her armor and hardened around her leg, giving her support, she breathed a very loud sigh of relief. She sent a thankful glance to the medic before brushing by them and picking up her launcher and reholstering it on her back again. The jetpack, thankfully, still works well. _ “Yankee Niner to dispatch. Landing pad is clear, send in the evac birds.” _

_“Copy Yankee Niner. Birds away,”_ _Good. At least these people will hopefully be able to make it off-planet._

The ODSTs all thanked her for her help, and she replied in kind. Once the Pelican landed and two Falcons landed next to it, she hopped on the gun and waited for takeoff. Once she sat down in the seat, she felt much more relief and actually realized how sore she was getting. She couldn’t show it either, she has a stereotype to uphold, as much as she doesn’t want to.

The pilot of Faye’s Falcon spoke, _ “City's been under siege for the last five days. Though we had it in hand, then those Corvettes showed up, then our fleet scattered.” _ Faye hummed in thought, and she knows she could have helped, but she can’t be everywhere at once. 

One of the soldiers on board had responded, _ “No, we all got orders to evacuate. Guess some of us just don't like leaving a job half-finished.” _If it was meant as a jab to Faye, she didn’t acknowledge it. Even though all this time, she hasn’t thought about Noble team as much. Then again, someone else was occupying her thoughts.

_ “Evac transport Delta 15 to evac dispatch. Loaded up, ready to go,” _ one of the civilian transports must be making some headway.

_ “Delta 15, this is evac dispatch. Copy that. Proceed at your digression,” _ and the green light was given. 

The pilot had to do some maneuvers to stay out of the line of major fire. Faye, while the conversation was taking place, was firing on Banshee squads trying to take them down. _ “Midtown airspace is way too hot. Gonna take an alternate route.” _

Unfortunately, nothing ever goes as planned, _ “Delta 15 to dispatch. Banshee squadron on my tail. Taking fire.” _Well, this puts a wrench into the plans. Faye stopped firing at the Banshees, considering she just killed the last one tailing them. 

_ “Copy Delta 15. Can you-” _Dispatch was attempting to reach the transport but was cut off. Already not good. Faye peered out of the Falcon to see a Covenant Seraph fire on the transport’s engines.

_ “Mayday! Port engines hit! We're going in! I'm going to try to set her down,” _Faye gritted her teeth. She couldn’t do much for them, considering she is injured, but she has her own goals to meet. Her hand reached up to Dove, who was still offline. The shell itself has vibrated on and off, hoping that the Spartan would notice. Just as Faye was about to pull her hand away, the shell vibrated and Faye’s vision snapped down to unbuckle her from the pouch. 

A Marine on the ground needed these people to get out of there. That Corvette needed to go down, _ “Fox Actual to UNSC frigate Starward Dawn. Request immediate airstrike on Covenant Corvette over starport.” _

Sadly the frigate could not deliver the request, “_ Stalwart Dawn: Solid copy Fox Actual. Longswords are unavailable at this time, over.” _ In the midst of the conversation, Faye gripped Dove’s shell and caressed one of the fins. Under her breath, Faye was whispering to the shell to wake up, to come back to her, to come back to _ him _ when they find him. Either she missed it or it was a small glare, but Faye swears she saw a flicker of blue come from the Ghost. Once she felt more at ease, she put Dove back into the pouch for safekeeping.

_ “This is civilian transport 6 Echo 2. I need to go now Sergeant Major. The Covenant are coming. If I don’t leave now, they will bust down the door and kill us all.” _

_ “Echo 2, hold on. Stalwart Dawn, I have multiple person craft loaded with civilians. I have got to get them out of this city. I need air support, now,” _ it sounded like the man was gritting his teeth.

The _ Stalwart Dawn _ remained calmed as the dispatcher spoke, _ “As soon as greens up, you'll be the first two-” _

_ “That’s not good enough, Dawn. They need to get out of there. Where are the longswords?” _

Urgently, Transport 6 Echo 2 cut in on the conversation again,_ “I've got six hundred souls on board Sergeant Major. I can't wait any longer.” _

_ “Negative Echo 2. I can't cover you. Do not take off,” _said Fox Actual, basically pleading with the pilot of the transport to stay put.

Faye intervened, “Six Echo Two, stand down, you are not clear for take-off. If you take off, you are putting those six hundred lives at risk, do you understand me?” Her voice was cold and unwavering. As the Falcon gets closer to the ground, flying around Covenant defenses, they notice the transport taking off. 

A plasma bolt from the Corvette lands on the airport, followed by another one that hits the transport. The pilot of the Falcon exclaimed, _ “Oh my god!” _ Faye only gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. Of course they didn’t listen but in times of war, saying and doing are two different things. 

The transport only shouted its distress as the Sergeant Major asked if they keep it airborne. The transport plummeted into the riverbed below and the Marines made no move to send search and rescue birds. The Falcon continues to fly around the beachhead, noticing two Wraiths, and a few Ghosts, the Covenant kind, lingering about. Faye used her turret to blow up one of the Wraiths and damaged a Ghost. Having done that, the Falcon circled around to a small beach, approximately three hundred meters away from the beachhead.

After using the Falcon’s turret to mow down the small Covenant squad that was attacked the squad. One specific Marine gained Faye’s attention, “Spartan! Sergeant Major Duvall. How's the day so far? Just keeps getting worse, huh? Covies are all over the missile batteries and I got five thousand civilians waiting. I need you to arm those missile batteries that you probably saw on your way in. Once they are armed, fire those missiles from the central terminal in the central building. Understood? Corvette's been a pain in my ass for too long, give it hell Spartan.”

Faye hopped out of the Falcon and braced more of her weight on her left leg, just in case. She saw more ammo for DMRs and immediately filled any available pouches with ammo and checked her rockets, noting that she was full. Then, she passed right by the Sergent Major and raised her rifle as she took quick steps forward. The Covenant fired first, the shots ricocheting off her shields and she returned in kind. Seven bullets left the barrel of the DMR and that the six Skirmishers that were perched on the bridge coming in. One of them got greedy and took two bullets to take down. It might have been wearing armor over the face.

As they pushed onto the beach, Sergent Major Duvall was giving a small rallying speech as Faye moved along the inner sections of the beach, making headway to a set of stairs that lead to the first missile battery. Some Grunts and a Brute, who wasn’t paying attention, were guarding the battery, so Faye held her weapon close, but brought out a knife. She silently stepped over to the battery and flick a few switches, pressed a few buttons and the battery roared to life. That was Faye had silently killed the Covenant squadron, making sure the Brute got the worst of her wrath.

Duvall chimed in Faye’s ear, _ “Excellent work, Spartan. Now, there is another missile battery one hundred meters northeast of your position. I have a transport begging to take off and I can’t guarantee their safety without those batteries active.” _

“Understood. Six, out,” Faye said coldly and shut off her comms until she was done. She crossed the long bridge and brought her rockets out and looked for her first target. A couple of Brutes were standing guard at the second battery, far enough away where the rocket won’t damage the battery and close enough together where the rocket will do the most damage. Aiming down sights, and locking on, she fired one rocket and the second quickly followed. The Brutes didn’t see it coming and were blown up. Unseen by Faye, another Chieftain was around and hopped into the air. Faye saw him coming, but she knew that even with her Spartan reflexes that she wouldn’t be able to dodge it. So, she brought her now empty Rocket Launcher to block the swing.

The resulting crunch was from the hammer hitting the rocket, denting it beyond use and Faye took that moment of surprise from the Brute to throw him off balance and her Magnum was aimed at the Brute’s eyes. Three shots took its eyes out and a knife lunge from Faye took out its throat and it dropped dead. Once she stood, she almost crumbled again. The pain overlapping her entire body, shaking the biofoam loose, but she must push on. _ No weaknesses. _ Faye checked for Dove and found she was still safe, and unharmed. Stumbling over to the battery, she activated it, similarly to the first one.

Now, she had to make it to the main console, on the other side of the complex. A Wraith shot boomed next to her, shaking her off balance. She quickly scrambled behind a wall and she noticed a weapon. A prototype. They called it a Spartan Laser. Faye heard of these prototypes but never saw any of them, so why was one here of all places? The next shot boomed to her right and she decided to shoot first and ask questions later. The Spartan reached out for the weapon, straining her muscles in pain as she mounted the weapon on her shoulder and peered over the cover she was behind. The Wraith was in plain sight and she lined up her shot and squeezed the trigger. The faint _ hiss _ of the weapon charging could be heard before a bright red laser was produced and barreled right into the Wraith. It exploded in violet flames. A beautiful display, something even Jorge would be proud of.

The sudden reminder of her fallen teammate sent a small pang to her heart, beating calmly in battle, sped up just a tad. The Spartan let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Now, she had one task to do, stand. Once she can do that, everything can fall into place. She turned her comms back on, now that she didn’t need to be fully immersed without distraction. _ “Spartan, we’ve cleared most of the way to the missile controls, but some of the Covenant are sticking to their guns,” _ Duvall said, giving Faye a much-needed break. Hopefully, the Marines are smart and would wait for her to help them.

“Status on the transport, Sergent Major,” Faye said, keeping her voice even, though her body feels strained everywhere. Thankfully, the biofoam hasn’t broken yet, because if that does, then she could be out of the game temporarily and it would mean the end of Reach. Every Spartan counts.

_ “Ma’am, they have Covenant starting to claw at the doors, we need those missile batteries up and running. Head on in, the Marines have it pinned down to one more room,” _ Duvall responded.

Faye picked up her DMR and readied the laser for a Covenant Ghost, the laser once again hissed as it charged and the Ghost was no more, just spare parts. Faye hobbled over to the Marines on the opposite end, which took longer than she wanted, but she got there; once she did she asked for a grenade since she didn’t have any. Then, she limped, trying to cover the extent of her injuries, as pointed to an open room, “They in there?” She put her new laser on her back, next to her DMR as she looked at all the Marines.

“Yes, ma’am,” one of them replied.

She pulled the pin on the grenade and held it, “On my go,” and she threw the grenade up into the room.

Silence reigned for a few delicate moments. The only sounds that could be heard were the echo of gunfire in the distance, the breathing of every Marine, and the loading of weapons. The grenade went off and Faye jumped up to grab onto the edge of the window and pulled herself up, even with one of her arms straining to maintain the strength. Once she pulled herself into the room, the grenade had severely injured the remaining Brutes and the Marines had finished them off. With a simple nod, she turned towards the missile battery controls and activated them both.

_ “All evac transports, you are clear for takeoff. I repeat, you are clear for takeoff. Go, now!” _

The next sounds were the sounds of Banshees being shot down and the transport being told it could go. A missile barrage launched up to the Covenant Corvette that was hounding the Marines.

_ “Civilian transport away!” _ one of them flew across Faye’s vision and it made quick haste to leave the immediate area. Faye had sagged in relief as she turned around and walked by, no longer holding back the extent of her injuries and made her way down to the beach where she sat down and leaned against a rock. Faye took out Dove’s shell and held her close, the vibrations were much more constant and the optic was blinking blue softly. _ “You saved a lot of lives today, Spartan!” _

During this time, Dove was screaming to wake up, she had so much to tell Faye, she had so much to tell Noble Team. she had so much to say but not enough time nor words to say so. Even the shell vibrating was only a fraction of Dove’s renewed excitement. Her Guardian was still alive, albeit comatose, but _alive _nonetheless. The Ghost just vibrated in the Spartan’s hand. She tried everything to make her presence known and being trapped in her mindscape where all of her important items are, was not a grand time, especially when nothing was out of place. Dove just idly flew in her mind, praying to the Traveler that she could find one of her friends. _Fear not, little one._ _Who was that? _Dove thought as she spun around, looking for the source of the faint voice she just heard. Her search became fruitful as she laid her eye on something she thought wasn’t possible, and that’s saying something, considering where she was.

Faye’s comms soon crackled to life, and she realized she closed her eyes. Opening them she listened, _ “Copy, repeat, this is Noble Two. Noble Five, Noble Six and G7, do you copy?” _

Faye answered immediately, “This is Six. Go ahead, Noble Two.”

A crackled huff came through, _ “We picked up your transponder about an hour ago, but could not risk open comms. Covenant has this city sealed tight. We’re getting nothing from Jorge, nor Sebastian.” _Just the mention of their names made Faye’s heart clench.

Faye had to hold back the onset of things percolating in her mind, “Jorge didn’t make it,” a small moment of silence before Faye spoke again, her voice much more vulnerable than she wanted, “Sebastian isn’t here either, but his other half is alive and in my care. We’ll need to sit down and talk.”

Kat, from the other side of the comms, could feel Faye’s vulnerability as if she was standing next to her, the brainiac was confused at what she meant at ‘other half’ until her eyes widened slightly. In order to keep the surprise out of her voice, Kat switched topics, _ “Understood, what’s the situation at Starport?” _

“The last transports are away,” her voice monotone now, just waiting for any shred of good news. She could really use some right about now, and while the transports getting away should be a good thing, it isn’t the same for some reason. A reason that Faye doesn’t want to admit.

A sigh from the other line, _ “Alright, we’re bringing you to us.” _ Seeing that was the end of the conversation, _ but there will be another one, _ Faye took a flare from her armor, used her armor as a hard surface to light it and threw it ahead of her, close to the water, but edging on the small patch of grass. As Faye looked up, she could see the Corvette come crashing down above the city. _ Good, these Covie bastards deserve everything coming to them _. Faye took a long look at her armor and noticed the multitude of scratches and dents, but in the end, she survived.

And she will keep surviving until the world deems she is no longer needed. 


	16. Epiphany

Sebastian was in a dreamless coma; all he could see was nothing. Nada, like nothing even existed. He remembers himself screaming for Dove, and then passing out. Whether or not he was still on the same table he was on or in some creepy laboratory on the ship, remains to be seen.

Suddenly, his eyes opened and he winced in pain. It flared all over his body; his breathing picked up again and he shook his head. He tried to move his hand, but it was strapped down. His armor was still on his person, albeit in what felt rags and missing portions, but at least they haven’t stripped him down yet. Every breath hurt, every movement made him feel like he was drunk, or high.  _ Did they drug me? _ If they did, he probably wouldn’t be conscious. The lights blinded him, so he closed his eyes, but the darkness of doing so caused him to open his eyes and the cycle repeats. He doesn’t want to go back to that darkness. It was where he felt more alone than ever before.

While in that darkness, it was just him. Even before that, he reached out to Dove and tried to say he was sorry, but he doesn’t even know if she heard him. His heart seized at the thought of never seeing Dove again. His Ghost, who has done so much for him, could be taken away from him in one fell swoop. He would be powerless if it happened.  _ Hell, I’m sorta powerless now. If it wasn’t for them literally breaking a majority of my bones, I probably could have been back to Reach by now. _

Taking in the surroundings of the room, he noticed it was the same room as he has always been in since he was brought on board. It looked clean, considering the last time he actually looked at it was when it was covered in his own blood. _Now that I think about it, how did I not die from blood loss?_ _Seriously, the amount that was plastered all over the room was enough for a few blood transfusions._

Sebastian sagged his body as fighting the restraints were of no use, that and only needing one bracelet to hold him down would make it much easier. Add that to the fact that one of them had started to cut off his other arm.  _ Hurt worse the first time, but this time, I barely felt it. Burning flesh though, that was probably the worst part. _ His face felt like someone painted on it. Dry blood covered most of him, upon having looked at his armor. He looked like that God of War shader that Grandma Eva sells to Guardians back in the Tower. His armor didn’t even resemble any of the original colors anymore. He can’t smell much of anything else either, his blood and the lingering burning flesh were the only things were dominating his senses.

Speaking of the Tower, Sebastian once again thought back to wondering if anyone knew he had gone missing. It has been about three weeks, but it has felt like so much longer than just three weeks. Maybe about two months, Sebastian would suggest. He hopes Faye got out alright, fighting the good fight. She better keep Dove safe, knowing that she was probably offline for now. Dove was probably still looking for him in her mind since that’s where she would be when forced into that mode.

It happened after the SIVA Crisis, she went into that mode for a solid week, and she woke up on her own, relieved seeing Sebastian up and about, but her mood immediately went somber after seeing him without his arm. At the time, she looked guilty, but he assured her that it was not her fault and any time she would bring it up, he would remind her again and again.  _ Just please keep her safe. She’s one of the only things that will keep me grounded. You are starting to become a part of that list, but only if you can prove it to me. _

One of the Huragok appeared in his vision and it broke the Hunter’s intense focus on a certain spot on the wall. It prodded his chest and checked his other limbs, seemingly making sure that no other breaks or fractures on his person before it moved its head on his neck. Sebastian tensed. His voice came out weaker than he wanted, “W-What are you doing?”

The Huragok only purred, or at least it sounded like it was purring to Sebastian’s ears, and just sighed softly, as it was giving him some form of comfort, the only comfort he’s felt since his capture. He would be fully comforted if not for two things. One, the fact that this Huragok was giving him the exact same level of comfort as Dove. Two, he was  _ still _ on the damn Covenant flagship.

It did not help that he was being observed. Thel ‘Vadamee and the female Elite squad were all on the other side of the room talking. They either didn’t notice he was awake, or they were lulling him into a false sense of security. Whatever it may be, it did not sit well with the Guardian. They were all discussing how to get information out of him.  **<<We could use mental tactics to have him tell us what we want to know, Supreme Commander.>> ** Boxa suggested.

Khaso responded quickly with,  **<<Or you could just leave me alone in a room with him, no cameras, and a few of the Huragok to ensure he doesn’t perish.>>**

Thel was idly listening when his hearing picked up movement and the faint whisper of Sebastian’s voice. Thel turned and his eyes locked onto the Guardian’s form, covered in his own crimson essence. In most cases, there would not be a prisoner right now, but only a bloodied cadaver to send back to the humans to know that they should fear the Covenant. However, this one is different.

Thel immediately walked over to Sebastian, seeing and hearing, one of the Huragok purring against the human.  **<<Leave us.>>** he demanded. The Huragok snapped to attention, and with a sad warble, it left without another word.  **“Tell me, why won’t you tell us what we want to know?”**

Sebastian turned to see the very intimidating figure of the Supreme Commander looming over him. Still not liking how his voice sounded, he replied, “Why do you want it? It is useless information for you.”

**“Not when you can come back from the dead. That is a feat only a few can pull off in ****_our_**** world,”** Thel was a clever Sangheili, knowing that this simple wording was merely baiting Sebastian. He wanted to see if the Human was smart enough to catch it.

Fortunately, Sebastian caught the wording and simply said, “In  _ your _ world? You make it sound like we are from two different planets, which in case you haven’t noticed, we  _ are _ from different planets.”  _ My sarcasm will be my undoing, I’m sure. _

**“Cut the act, ‘Seb’. You and I both know that is not what I mean. You are not of this world, this ** ** _universe_ ** **, in any capacity. You are fighting a war where you don’t need to take part in. The question remains, how did you get here and how did you get these feats? More importantly, ** ** _why_ ** ** are you fighting?** ” Thel said with what Sebastian would call a ‘smirk’ for Sangheili. Those beady eyes staring at him like it was looking at his soul.

Sebastian looked away from the Sangheili, knowing he was making a point; he could have not joined with them, but his own morals trumped his logic.  _ I don’t regret it one bit.  _ Sebastian was not saying a thing because if he does, he will never be getting off this ship. With every passing moment, he was a prisoner that would be kept under the highest guard. Even for when he had to go to the bathroom.  _ That’s private time. _

Shoya, the scout, came up to the right of Thel,  **<<Supreme Commander, my scouts have reported in, and you may want to take a look at this.>>** She then turned to Sebastian,  **“It looks like we have an answer to one of our questions.”**

Sebastian’s heart started pumping. Through the corner of his eye, he could see a video playing. This video contained their answers, but it would only make them have more questions. Thel was watching the report with interest, seeing this little floating construct, hovering close by to Sebastian. Thel’s eyes turned on Sebastian,  **“So, that is what your construct looks like, hm? Something that small couldn’t possibly be able to hold any information, but it is possible for it to hold all of your important information, is it not?”**

The Hunter thrashed in his restraints, wanted nothing more than to be off this ship. Sebastian was dead serious, he will die before he gives anything up. “She is off-limits to you. I won’t let you touch her! When I get free, and it will happen, you better start praying to your Gods and Prophets, they are probably lying to you-” Sebastian didn’t get to finish his sentence as Khaso wrapped her hand around his throat.

She applied pressure as Sebastian choked, his face going red, as she snarled,  **“Do not speak ill-will of the Prophets, Demon.”**

**<<Enough, Khaso,>> ** Thel demanded.  **“He won’t be able to speak to us if he doesn’t have the ability to.” ** Sebastian would much rather be choked out so he  _ doesn’t _ have to speak with them. He coughed, his chest surging as one of the Huragok rushed into the room, intent on checking on its patient.

Thel noticed it rushed in, but said nothing and waved his hand to the females, ordering them to back up so the Huragok can do its work. Most of the females snarled, which went unaffected by the floating alien. It padded Sebastian’s throat and made his healing process speed up. To Sebastian, his throat felt closed, mostly because of the force applied, which should have killed him. However, the Huragok’s ability to speed up the healing process made him feel like someone inflated a balloon in his throat, allowing him to breathe. Sebastian went from feeling both sides of his throat touch to not feeling either side touching at all. Coughing once and looking up through tear-filled eyes, “I have to admit that felt so unnatural compared to normal.”

Then, the Huragok looked to Thel apologetically before saying something and lowering its head in submission. Sebastian thought it was expecting punishment, but much to his surprise, Thel ordered it off with a wave of his hand. “Here I thought you were heartless,” Sebastian said as a humorless chuckle escaped him.

**“Not all of us are, Human,”** Thel responded evenly, while Sebastian closed his eyes, hid body getting tired. It was then he started speaking, “Should have thought about that when you invaded the planet. It was your Prophets, wasn’t it? They wanted you to invade this planet for what reason? These are the questions I’ve asked myself while I’ve had the chance, Commander. You don’t have a real reason besides gathering data on anything that is deemed valuable. Like myself.”

Thel admitted to himself that he was right on one point, getting valuable data. Sebastian felt himself getting tired, the healing process must take a lot out of him. The small feeling of comfort lingered inside him still, lulling him to sleep. That doesn’t mean he was letting his guard down. He habitually locks up his mind no matter what. His barrier only fell because of the pain he was in. His eyes closed and his body relaxed, but before he fell asleep he whispered, “You were right about one thing, Commander.” Thel’s gaze held interest, as did the females. “I am not from  _ this _ universe. Maybe if things become right, and you find peace and I still happen to be around. Might tell you about it one day,” and Sebastian fell into a recuperating slumber.

Roea spoke from the back, her voice conveying her increased interest,  **<<Supreme Commander, is what he says true? That he is not of our world?>> ** Roea’s sister-in-arms also wanted to know if this human was indeed telling the truth. They were told most Humans would lie to get out of anything, to save their own skins. A selfish race, one to be eradicated.

Thel stood there, lingering over Sebastian’s now unconscious form.  **<<From what we know about the other Demons, he certainly never fit any of the classifications that we have set upon them. It is also unlikely that the Humans would have kept this project as a secret, especially since they never get far with them.>>** Thel chuckled but immediately turned serious.  **<<I do believe that whatever this Human is, he is indeed not of our world. That makes him a top priority to keep under our watch. While you are in here, on separate shifts, you are allowed to interrogate him, but do ** ** _not_ ** ** kill him.>> ** Thel turned towards the group,  **<<When he wakes up, bring him to the bridge.>>**

**<<Yes, Supreme Commander,>>** the five Sangheili warriors said in unison. Zesa was the only one to stay behind, taking the datapad from her Commander as the rest of them left.

Zesa continued to watch the recordings from the datapad and saw that this construct was someone close to him. She watched as the little thing go to his neck and watched the Human smile, an emotion of happiness. Certainly, this race of selfish beings could not have actual feelings, could they? Zesa continued to look over the now unconscious Guardian, noticing once more that he doesn’t have both arms, while the video proves that he does. A question for later.  **<<What happened from then to now?>> ** she mused to herself aloud, putting the video down and moving to stand over him. Her Commander was correct, there was a warrior spirit in him. However, could one break a spirit if it was already broken?

Zesa continued to get lost in her own thoughts, as she examined the extraterrestrial Human, the one from another dimension. Zesa took note of how relaxed his body was, her calculating mind never rests. His entire face said that he was at peace, and if not for the rising and falling of his chest, she would have made the motion that he was, in fact, dead. Sebastian was not dead. Not by a long shot.

* * *

_ Sebastian was in his own mind again, just sitting there. He’s explored all of his own memories, even the repressed ones, and the only thing he needs was his Ghost, but it feels as if the connection has been cut. It felt that way, everything came collapsing on him and it was too much for him. How he felt was hollow, like candy with only an outer shell of chocolate with nothing inside. _

_ The only thing Sebastian felt was a sense of falsehood, but it wasn’t his own, nor was it Dove’s. _

_ Sebastian quickly stood up and looked around, it just wasn’t possible. It’s not here, it never was, and it never can be. Sure, the Vex could simulate it, but it wouldn’t feel real. The Hunter felt a pull and his body obeyed; he tried to resist, but it was ultimately futile as his legs were forced to move. A flash of light made his vision go white. _

_ In the next instant, he was in space, with a very familiar ship in sight. The Long Night of Solace. Why was he being shown this ship again? Does this being want him to regret the fact that he could have saved Jorge but didn’t? Sebastian thinks about it too. He knew that if he tried to fight the Spartan on it, he would have thrown him out of the hangar instead of pushing him out. _

_ It was as if a magnifying glass was put in front of him, an image of one anyway. It was telling him to look closer. _

_ Instead of fighting the being, he simply followed its instructions. Whoever this was, it better have a reason for why it is making him relive this. Then he stopped in place, finally realizing that he was in space, without his helmet… Shouldn’t he be choking? He took one deep breath and realized that he could breathe, so he shouldn’t be affected right? The ship tore itself apart, in much greater detail. He swears he could see Jorge, right before he vaporized like he never existed. A pang of hurt traveled through Sebastian’s heart. _

_ Sebastian braced for the knockback, but it never came. In fact, he never even felt it. It was like it failed to acknowledge him. He turned around to see the shockwave go out. Then, he turned back to see the ship split in two, and his jaw dropped at the sight. _

_ In the middle of the wreckage, right where the slipspace drive fired, Sebastian felt it. The warmth. The warmth that he thought he would never feel again. Not the warmth of his Ghost, no. It was the everlasting warmth of the  _ Traveler. _ “That’s impossible,” Sebastian heard himself saying. “How are you here?” _

_ He did not receive an answer, no images, nothing. _

_ There inside the wreckage was a  _ shard _ of the  _ Traveler _ . It was not the full thing, but after being so far away from it, the Light, it certainly felt as if it was the whole thing. The shard came into Sebastian’s vision. Did it… come through the slipspace portal? But, how? Did the Traveler know that he was missing? Why did it come for him? Why now, of all times? Why not before? _

_ An image of a headshake appeared in his mind, signifying that either it doesn’t know or doesn’t feel like sharing. _

_ “Why?” the now stunned Guardian asked. Why won’t the Traveler answer him? Another question, how would he get off the ship? How would he defend himself? How would he fight off warriors who could easily overpower him? He may be a Guardian, but that does not make him invincible. Even the toughest Guardians fall sometime. There would be an opponent that would outmatch them, just like Saint-14, the most revered Titan of all time. He never met the old Exo, but there was a time that Sebastian idolized the Exo. Someone who could bear the burden of almost anything. _

_ He knew that he went into the Infinite Forest to find Osiris, but ever since then, no one has seen him, presumed dead. Even Osiris doesn’t know what happened to him. That was a time he shut down, where he was weak. Where he felt his whole world crashing down on him. Dove had barely managed to get him out of it. His mentors barely managed to get him out of it. Then Rosa happened. She was there for a time and then she was ripped away from him. He was going back into the same routines as before. So, he did what he had to do to keep the pain at bay… There were times he didn’t feel worthy of being a Guardian. This was back when the mental bond between Guardian and Ghost wasn’t as great as it is now. So, at the time, Dove could not feel his emotions as much as she can now. Times were different back then. _

_ Sebastian remembers that Guardians have risen from nothing to then fall the hardest only to come back twice as strong. Guardians have sacrificed everything they hold dear to them, even if that means losing their own lives in the process, a sense of honor and duty to protect. Guardians are held in high regard and after all, Sebastian was and is a Guardian, but not one to be held in that regard. Maybe he could change that. _

_ An image of a bow appeared in his mind. _

_ It couldn’t be. Sebastian looked to the shard as it floated in space to see glowing energy within the shard. The shard was merely twirling in space as the energy seemed to remain constant. It glowed an otherworldly color, and it felt familiar enough. Then, the shard started to rumble. _

_ Until it stopped. _

_ The energy shot out of the shard and into Sebastian’s chest. This time the impact  _ did _ affect him and he was sent backward as the energy thrived throughout his body. It felt cold, but not the bad kind. The kind in which one was excited for something, in anticipation of something. It was then he felt it. _

_ The Light. Not his Solar Light. Not his Arc Light. His  _ Void _ Light. “V-Void Light? But it will make me go mad! I never went for it because of that reason! I deemed the risk too great!” Sebastian heard himself shout. He never trusted himself with the Void, even though Nightstalkers were rarer nowadays, and those that could handle the Void were encouraged to seek it out. _

_ “How would I even use the Bow? I don’t have my arm,” he whispered out to the Traveler. His answer was the Void lighting up the space that would be his left arm. Understanding was beginning to cross Sebastian; even more so when the Bow appeared in his left hand. His hand was Void fire, it felt just like his robotic arm, but it was flowing with power. Even his normal arm never felt like this. _

_ Sebastian held the Bow in the typical fashion and pulled back the nonexistent string. The resistance felt like a normal bow and he set himself, as best he could because he was floating, and released the string. His body never felt more relief than before. _

_ A singular arrow fired and the streak of purple dashed across space. Wait, but this feels like a dream, he finds himself thinking. It feels so real like he was actually floating in space. Then, the shard plummeted to Reach and Sebastian did too. He screamed as he fell and the Traveler had one last thing to say before he fell back into his own mind. _

_ Instead of an image, he felt his body filled with hope, the Traveler was wishing him luck, and to put it to good use. _

* * *

Sebastian’s eyes opened and he breathed in deeply like he was starving of oxygen. It resulted in startling the Sangheili who was watching him. Sebastian turned to see an Elite Minor, then it dawned on him, the female Minor. She was actually the least abusive of all of them. Considering the fact she still did beat him, it wasn’t as aggressive. Out of everyone who participated, she went first and inflicted some base damage, but when it got to one of them, Sebastian  _ swears _ that she’s a sadomasochist. Once his eyes adjusted, he just relaxed again before thinking deep down. He searched his body for his Light and he felt the normal sparks of Arc and Solar, but he was pleasantly surprised to find a third spark lying right next to the other two.

His eyes saw his helmet and what was assumed to be his knives on another table. Much to his surprise, the helmet was repaired, like brand new. His cloak was also over there, left as it was, full of holes and the rose patch survived. At least it wasn’t repaired. Each mark meant something. 

He wondered who repaired it. That quickly turned into the assumption that one of the Huragok repaired it. Looking down, it seems that his armor was repaired too, but the blood… still there. Once he gets the chance, he will be checking to see if they left a tracker in any of the pieces. When his eyes turned back around, he didn’t expect to be staring at one of the female Elites mere inches from his face. “Son of a bitch!” Sebastian yelped.

The Elite backed off before looking to his missing arm,  **“Curious. My sister informed me of a discrepancy in her scouts’ reports. You had your other limb before, and now you don’t. Tell me, did you make the prosthetic, or did someone else make it for you?”**

Stammering, “Uhm, who are you? Because the only way I, uh, can identify you is how brutal you beat me?” Sebastian didn’t really catch the names, considering they never told him.

**“You haven’t earned that right yet,” ** Roea said.  **“You didn’t answer my question,”** her tone became stern and demanding. She wanted to indulge her curiosity while no one else was around. Sue her.

“My arm?” Roea nodded. “It was made, post-incident. Had some help, about two years testing the kinks out of it. Still could use improvements.” Sebastian looked away, remembering the first time he tried it on. Not a painless process. Quite the opposite, actually. It was almost to the point of  _ regretting _ cutting his arm off. However, it was worth it in the end. He was able to use his arm again.

**“Why did you require it?”** Roea asked, again, indulging into her curiosity.

Sebastian tensed and continued to look anywhere but her. Roea didn’t like that, so she gripped his chin and made him face her. Sebastian visibly flinched.  _ Safe to say I won’t ever like choking in the bedroom again.  _ The flinching made Roea smirk a little but asked firmly,  **“Why did you require the prosthetic?”**

“I needed it, can’t be what I am without it. I felt like a piece of me was missing,” Sebastian said, praying that she lets go of his chin. He was hiding the fact that the can actually fight one-handed, trying to make himself weaker than he actually was. He was attempting to lull them into a false sense of security. On the topic of security, the door opened and there stood the leader of the females.

**<<The Supreme Commander wants him on the bridge,>> ** Zesa ordered Roea. Without another word, Roea undid his leg bindings and then his wrist binding. Sebastian didn’t make a move, as now was not the time. Once he was pulled to a sitting position, his body protested.  _ Damn bruises, go away. _ However, it didn’t stop him from wincing. His eyes blurred for a moment, causing him to blink his eyes numerous amounts of times and then once the pain stopped, his breathing hitched, resulting in him sighing unevenly.

Roea let go of his arm and Zesa had a gun trained on him, just in case they had to drag him to the bridge. Sebastian rolled his eyes as he slid off the table, slowly, and finally felt the ground with his own two feet after how long? Sebastian doesn’t know, but it was more than a day, possibly two. His legs almost gave out on him and his hand gripped the table. All the blood came rushing through his body, causing him to be a little tipsy. Once his back was situated towards the table, he used his hand to rub his eyes and then massage his temples. A growl escaped from both Elites. “Sorry. Would you rather me be able to walk or would you rather carry me?”

Both of them huffed as Sebastian stumbled to the door, swaying as he did so.  _ I am most definitely going to pass out soon.  _ As per the usual, one of the Huragok checked him over, checking his head, and Sebastian felt a small sting of warmth, the same comfort as before.

Sebastian then began to walk where his arm was restrained behind his back by Zesa, to which he sighed, “Is it really necessary? I can barely do anything without you all have a weapon trained on me or having one of you in contact.”

A simple snarl and the pulling of his arm shut him up. His face contorted a little but gave no audible signs of discomfort. They guided him into the hallway and he took in the sights, memorizing what he could in so little time. Many twists and turns and many intersections, along with other Covenant spewing insults his way. They finally stopped in front of the doors to the bridge, which looked awfully familiar.  _ Is this ship really like the Long Night? _

The doors opened and every single, and Sebastian means, every  _ single _ Covenant soldier looked his way. So, naturally to defer, “I know I look like hot shit right now, but please avert your eyes, you’ll go blind otherwise.” When all he got were confused looks, he whispered, “Oh wait… none of you have a sense of humor.”

**“Was that supposed to be a ‘joke’, Human?”** the voice of the Commander reached his ears.

Sebastian shrugged as best as he could. He noticed Thel nodded behind him and Zesa, the one holding his arm, looked surprised. Nevertheless, she let his arm go, which made Sebastian’s eyes widen, “Wow, you’re letting me have my arm back? Is it my birthday?” he said more to himself. The best part was, he heard a few scoffs. Thel beckoned him forward and seeing no point in resisting, he moved to stand in front of him.

**“Do you know why you are here?” ** Thel inquired.

Sebastian just stared at him, to then stare out the window, looking at space, looking at Reach. “You’ll have to be more specific. Here as in this universe, or here as in on this bridge?” A growl told him to cut the act and answer the question. “Honestly, I don’t know why I’m here. You’re the ones who wanted  _ me _ , remember? I would rather be down there fighting than being up here.”

**“Your abilities are unheard of in this universe, and it comes to a point of how you do them,”** the cogs were already turning in his head. Did they want a show?  **“You are going to show us what one of your abilities are.”**

“And if I don’t?” Sebastian just  _ had _ to ask. Thel gripped him by the shoulder and there was the squad of female Elites. No matter how he felt, he involuntarily flinched.  _ Oh, I don’t think I would survive that again. _ The Guardian chuckled nervously, “I see your point, but what  _ do _ you want me to show?”

**“Let us see this gun that you can make from nothing,”** Thel suggested.

Sebastian shrugged before saying, “Don’t be surprised if I can’t hold it for long.” Then, he closed his eyes and focused on his Light within him. The familiar flicker of Solar resided in him, and he went for a pull and the Void wanted out. Sebastian guided the Void away and whispered to it, a potentially bad move on his part, especially if it whispers back. The Void will have its playtime later. Solar Light flowed through his veins and oddly enough, it flowed through him elsewhere. He opened his eyes to see a beam of Light come up from the planet and it impacted his chest, filling him with Light.  _ Is it national Traveler Light giving day?  _ With a newfound burst of Light, he summoned Golden Gun and stood there, the flames licking his body, even cleaning off the blood from his armor.  _ Wow, I didn’t think that was possible… hell, I never noticed that before. _

“Are you satisfied?” Sebastian asked as the flames flickered out and he took a stabilizing step to preserve his balance. He physically shouldn’t be doing that, but with his current condition, he’s lucky to be standing. Having to summon the Light and be exhausted is one thing, but if he is physically exhausted, that’s another.

**“Very, it would only make it better if your construct was here. So we could ‘test’ the immortality,”** Thel said with an obvious double meaning. Sebastian withheld a groan and his comment that he wanted to make and instead just stared blankly at the Sangheili Commander.

“Well, that’s too bad. She’s not here, and you won’t get her either.” Sebastian felt angry, but couldn’t do much because remember the cold feeling? Yeah, it’s constricting his heart again. He clutched his chest as he went down to one knee; his face contorted in absolute agony. Thel noticed that even though he was in pain, he tried his damndest to not lash out audibly.

**“Even when you are in pain, you don’t want to yell. I admire that,” ** Thel openly commented.  **“But we still have ways of drawing it out.” ** The Commander turned to the soldier in charge of the laser,  **<<Get ready to glass a section of the planet. Focus on where that beam of light came from.>>**

The soldier nodded before looking back to their controls. They want to witness its destruction. Soon enough, the beam charged and Sebastian looked up to see it fire. His eyes widened and he waited for the inevitable pain, and when he didn’t feel it, he was shocked to feel nothing after it.

The Sangheili around him were all confused, and so was he, actually. “Was that supposed to happen?” The beam fired again. Sebastian didn’t feel anything at that time either. When he finally got up, with Thel watching his every move, he hobbled over to their controls, and just stared out the window.

Then, he started laughing maniacally, “I see what’s happened, and I honestly thought…” he started laughing mid-sentence, “You won’t be able to destroy it, it is protecting itself. You fired on it, thinking it would work, but it didn’t.”

Every Covenant soldier snarled and Khaso had drawn her sword whilst standing behind Thel. Sebastian glanced over Thel’s shoulder, “Go ahead, it won’t change anything. Once I’m dead, I’m gone, and I will be free.” 

He was roughly grabbed the shoulder and turned around to see a Sangheili snarl in his face, its sword drawn. “Is that supposed to scare me? I’ve seen rituals that have done worse,” his bluntness coupled with his exhaustion make say stuff that will get on people’s nerves.

Even when Khaso had stepped forward, turned him around, grabbed him by the neck, he didn’t flinch. Sebastian just closed his eyes, ready to accept the sweet release of death. Khaso then threw him across the room, instead of killing him. He landed and did a combination of rolling and sliding across the floor, somehow landing on his knees once it was over. “If it’s alright with you, I’m going back to my room… or is it my cell? Anyway, I kinda know the way back, later,” he said with a few chuckles mixed in like he didn’t just get tossed across the bridge.

**<<Khaso, Roea, guide him back.>>** They followed but Thel had some parting words.  **<<Khaso, do ** ** _not_ ** ** kill him, am I understood?>>** Thel could feel the bloodlust in the air. She wanted nothing more than to kill him.

**<<Yes, Supreme Commander,>>** Khaso replied, clicking her mandibles, begrudgingly following the source of her anger.

Once Sebastian was out in the hall, he stumbled more. This isn’t Light Exhaustion, no, this is just plain old exhaustion. He hasn’t gotten any sleep, he hasn’t eaten anything, and he certainly hasn’t had a break on this ship. One of them gripped him by the arm and pushed him forward, moving him along.

Sebastian wondered once more where the hell Dove is; if she was safe, and that in turn led him to think about Faye. The woman whom he has fallen for. He would give anything to see her, just once more. The Guardian continues this train of thought and wonders if Dove showed her the message; he wonders if she even  _ listened  _ to the message, and if she did, what was her reaction? He was brought out of his thoughts by his door opening and being shoved inside.

His Light flared again, agitated that he was not doing anything. Sebastian at least had the conscious effort to tone it down, but it only fueled his pathetic state more. So when he got to the table/bed thing, he laid down and was out almost immediately.

The two Sangheili were quite surprised he didn’t put up much of a fight. However, they were also unaware of what was going to come. Sebastian had a plan, and now that the Void is apart of him, his escape plan only escalated. He would just need the perfect opportunity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh, this is my first work to hit 100k words. So, I'm hella proud of myself.
> 
> I have half of the next chapter written, don't worry.


	17. Clarification

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double Update for you all. Please read the bottom notes.

The awaiting Spartan was picked up soon after she let out the flare. Once onboard, Faye sat in the seat, holding Dove’s shell, which hasn’t stopped vibrating and closed her eyes. She figured she would get a small power nap in before having to explain that she was the only one present from Operation: Uppercut. It was not a conversation that she looked forward to. One, it might out her on how she really feels about Sebastian. Two, she doesn’t want herself to fall from her perch, which she was very close to doing at the moment. How Faye has felt more alive in… her eyes opened… _ it’s almost been a month?! _ Time flies when you are with someone who actually means a lot to their significant other. _ Not that I’m saying we’re… dating… by any means. _

However, she wanted Dove to wake up. The urgency of the Shell’s vibrations meant that Dove had something to say but wasn’t physically able to. While the Pelican was moving, Dove’s shell was vibrating at almost a constant pace, and a few moments later it died down. This prompted Faye to say, “Pilot, is there anything in the area?”

_ “Reports have shown that an anomaly crashed into the planet’s surface. The Covenant have reported having fired two plasma glassing beams. They weren’t high in intensity, they were more… pinpointing a target,” _ the pilot said. _ “Let me guess, you’re interested.” _

Faye let out a dry chuckle, “Oh, it’s not me who is interested. It’s the little one that I’ve been protecting.” Faye looked down at the shell, already feeling the vibrations intensify. “Yeah, pilot, make way to the anomaly. It shouldn’t be a long detour.” The pilot acknowledged and made the swing around, the vibration steadily increasing as they got closer. Dove’s optic was starting to blink faster and Faye could see that this was the right call.

Dove was literally going to explode if something doesn’t happen. An exaggeration, but she really wants to explain everything to Faye, how he was still alive, however, she couldn’t because she was still trapped. While Dove was flying around in her mind, and an image of the Traveler appeared across her neural sensors. Dove stopped. _ It’s here. _ If Dove could cry, then she would. Soon after, she felt a blanket of warmth covering her as her optic brightened. Even Dove knew that she was on the verge of becoming a wandering Ghost. Having been separated, Dove held onto the remnants of her Guardian, their bond was weakening, and soon, she may not even feel it at all. Her core had basically wrapped around the last bits of his soul that she could still feel and refused to let them go. She knew he was alive, and it would only get better if she saw him again.

Dove’s shell stopped vibrating, which caused major concern to radiate from Faye. What eased her concern was the fact that Dove’s optic was blinking much more than before. A small sigh of relief escaped her. Her fingers caressed the shell in a kind, loving gesture. Faye can see why Sebastian cares for her so much. Who would do harm to such an innocent little thing?

The pilot’s voice snapped Faye out of her trance, _ “Good news, the excavation teams had just arrived and have started setting up. The only thing they are worried about is the Covenant firing another shot. From what I can see, it isn’t that big. Maybe about a story tall, and about seven feet wide.” _

Faye didn’t recognize anything about this anomaly, however, someone else did. “B-Bring me t-to it,” the voice croaked. Faye immediately snapped her gaze down to see Dove, looking back at her.

“Dove…” Faye’s voice was soft, quivering, and just filled with happiness. The shock was palpable to both of them, “You’re back.”

“I am,” her optic emoted a smile, but it quickly went away as she continued, “T-The shard. I n-need to be n-near it,” Dove quivered as the Pelican was set down. Faye winced as she stood up, but once she got moving, she could go for a bit. Most of the onsite UNSC personnel were surprised when they saw Faye.

“A Spartan? Not to be rude, but why are you here? You look like hell,” they commented.

Faye didn’t say anything besides, “What are your primary findings on this anomaly?” the Spartan questioned, ignoring the other comments. Faye had her own questions about this but chose not to say any of them out loud.

“No one can even approach it. It halts every attempt to get close.” Faye limped right by the scientist as they shouted, “I know you are a super soldier, but even you can’t get through it!” _ Good thing I don’t plan on getting past it. _

The Spartan whispered to the Ghost, “This is a piece of your Traveler, isn’t it? The being that brought you to life, which allowed...”

All she heard back was a weak whimper then a faint, “Y-Yes.” Both females knew who she was referring to. A small pained cry erupted from Dove, “I can’t believe i-it’s here. P-Please, bring me to the shard.” To Dove, it was funny that only feeling this shard felt like the whole Traveler.

Faye ignored the chatter about what Dove is, it doesn’t concern them. No one has ever seen something like her before, so it would be obvious that they would obsess over her. She stopped right before the massive crater that the Covenant laser created. In the middle of the carter lied this shard. It seemed that the entire crater was the barrier. Faye put her free hand not holding Dove to feel the aforementioned barrier, it edged to the first dip of the crater. However, Faye put Dove next to the barrier and it opened, only wide enough to let Dove in. Dove immediately floated away from Faye’s hand, feeling lighter than before. She almost fell out of the air multiple times before she made it in front of the shard.

_ What does it want from me, _ Dove thought to herself as she took in this shard of her creator. What she didn’t expect was the shard’s energy to reach out and gently pick up Dove’s shell, as she almost settled on the ground. It felt like warm hands cocooned her and she let out a content sigh. The warmth transferred from the metaphorical hands to her. The Light gave her a boost, and with that boost, she searched for her Guardian. It turns out, he was closer than she thought. “He’s on Reach again?! He escaped, and he… oh no… I need to find him!” she shouted once she was released from the gentle hold. No one heard her, so she was thankful for that. Her shell twisted as she glanced behind her to see Faye, no doubt with a questioning gaze. Within seconds, she took scans of the immediate area, in case they ever need to come back and flew right to Faye. She exited the same way she entered and quickly disappeared back into the module, which remained undamaged. She then whispered, _ “We need to go, don’t ask questions. I’m still trying to comprehend it. I have some things to tell you.” _

The Spartan turned to the Pelican pilot, who came to see all the commotion. It was a once in a lifetime chance. “Pilot, we need to go, continue your primary directive.” Faye then turned to the excavation team. “Keep this place secure, if that barrier is still up, only two people can get through it. The one you all just witnessed, and one more who is currently _ indisposed _ at the moment. We will come back, once we can get him to arrive.” With that, Faye turned and limped back to the Pelican and sat back down.

The excavation team just stared at the Spartan in awe. They normally are going to just ignore her and try to get by it anyway, so Faye just shook her head and waited for the rumbling engines to start up again. Once they were in the air, “So what is it that you wanted to tell me?”

_ “Sebastian is alive and on Reach!” _Dove blurted out.

“What?!”

* * *

Sebastian woke, feeling well-rested, all things considered. His Light was burning inside him, wanting out. The Void was something he never really wanted, but now that he has it, he doesn’t want to let it go, and he doesn’t know what part scares him more. The Void flashed in his eyes, and while he couldn’t see it, he could _ feel _ it. Sebastian felt as if there was another person inside him. He shivered violently as a chill ripped up his spine. As soon as they died down, the door opened. The Huragok was there, along with three others of its kind. They all chirped and the Void was deeming them all as non-hostile entities. _ Well, they better be, considering they did save me, multiple times. Can’t say I’ll miss the feeling of my ribs being repaired right before my eyes. _

Since they never bothered to strap him down again once he fell asleep, it makes it easier to escape, and that means less resistance. While he doesn’t want to kill all of the Covenant he sees, he may not have a choice. One would think that morals wouldn’t be apart of it, but it comes down to it, he will take out anyone who would stand in his way. Sebastian looked to the table across the room, all of his knives laid on the table. _ Surprised they didn’t take it to their labs and test them. Good, because that would warrant me killing them _.

His cloak and helmet laid there as well, in great condition. Sebastian’s blue eyes narrowed, _ these were pretty screwed up before. _ The Huragok spectating him were watching in earnest. “Thank you,” he whispered, not knowing if they actually heard him. A few chirps and warbles were heard, making Sebastian smile softly. His helmet was repaired and his cloak was sort of fixed. The rose patch remained and he couldn’t help but run his fingers over it, suddenly feeling sad. One of the Huragok quickly nudged his side before, in lack of a better term, cuddling with him. Sebastian let out a small _ hmm _ to thank them.

However, he wasn’t planning on sticking around. He started sheathing his knives back in their respective places, he allowed the Void to use the arm to help fasten his cloak._ Much harder with only one hand. _ Much to his surprise, the Void fire did not burn the material nor did it take over… yet. Once he got that on, he grabbed his helmet and slipped it on, the hiss resonating in his ears. He pulled his hood over his head and readied himself. Something tells him that this won’t be easy.

The Void took its chance and influenced his body. Sebastian was well aware of what was going on, it didn’t mean he _ liked _ it. As soon as he stepped out of the room, the alarms blared. If Sebastian had to guess, he would say as long as a Sangheili was with him, the alarms wouldn’t go off. What Sebastian didn’t expect was the same Huragok, wrapping a tentacle around his arm and dragging him along. In reality, it was trying to point him to a place of escape, the escape pods. Sebastian decided he had nothing else to lose, the Void surging him forward. Even with the alarms going off, it seemed that the Huragok knew the paths that would avoid most of the Covenant, but that doesn’t mean he won’t encounter anyone. Sebastian held a knife in his actual hand, while his void arm pulsed with power.

In Sebastian’s eyes, he was being guided, it felt like every one of his natural instincts were enhanced, his vision sharper, his hearing finely attuned, and his breathing slower yet effective. His heart rate is at levels of Spartans, around sixty beats per minute.

Throughout the ship, multiple Covenant squads were being dispatched to apprehend Sebastian, and the latter was going to make sure that it wasn’t going to happen. The first squad Sebastian ran into was a Grunt squad. With blinding speed, the Grunts were injured, but not dead. He was trying to get out without trying to murder the whole ship. In this war, he tries to not go unhinged. The moment he does, it won’t be a pretty sight. He only justifies his kills in self-defense, so if they try to attack and kill him, then he’ll retaliate. Considering the whole ship is after him, a few of the Covenant may die in the process.

While he could try to sabotage the ship, Sebastian fears that it may not be enough. With all the ships these Covenant have, one lost ship will mean nothing to them. He would have to take out the entire Covenant fleet, and that would be a daunting task for a lone Guardian. The Huragok wrapped a tentacle around his normal arm and gently pulled him along.

He encountered more squads and only killed when their intent was plainly obvious. One of the squads even got lucky with a Needle shot to his leg, but he just pulled it out and used the needle to stab the perpetrator, it was necessary, in Sebastian’s mind. They most likely had orders to not kill him, and they ignored them, just wanting to eviscerate the ‘Demon’. Sebastian felt eyes on him and turned to see a camera. It wasn’t really obscure, but Sebastian knew that Thel ‘Vadamee was watching his every move, and probably could easily prevent him from escaping, but he hasn’t sent Hunters after him. A ship full of Covenant, surely Hunters would be on the ship. He could feel his eyes burn violet at the camera. The Hunter turned around and noticed the Void flames left behind in his wake and before he could feel anything, Sebastian shut his eyes tightly and moved on.

Shaking his head, he continued through the hallways, following the Huragok, engaging Covenant squads as they came. Soon enough, they were at the cargo hold, _ a strange place to be _. Without warning, the Huragok shoved him into a pod. Sebastian turned, wanting to fight them on it, but with the Void influencing his body, it forced him to stay. Sebastian took the opportunity to look to see escape pods, and then realized that he was in one, and they weren’t coming with him. His voice slightly echoed as he pleaded, “Come with me.”

The Huragok slowly shook their heads and sealed the pod.

Throughout this entire ordeal, Thel remained calm. In fact, he was allowing this. He knew that they would never get the full extent of his abilities while cooped up. He ordered his Guards to not stand by his cell. No one dared to question the Commander. Some even noticed that Thel was smirking. Most of the crew on the bridge caught on to his plan and allowed it. **<<A warrior indeed,>> **Thel said to himself. An interesting thing to note was that he was not aiming to kill everyone who crossed his path, merely wound them so they couldn’t follow. This ‘Seb’ character was slowly gaining his respect, something he doesn’t give out easily. The five rare expectations are the females on his ship, whom he ordered to not intervene. Khaso was the most annoyed by this. All she wanted was to skewer Sebastian on her blade, repeatedly; her bloodlust knows no bounds. Thel withheld a laugh at her expense.

Back in the cargo hold, the Huragok chirped before pressing coordinates to the unexplored territory for both the UNSC and the Covenant. It also took the liberty of scrambling the pod, making its signal seem like debris, or garbage, in this case. Sebastian, now that the Void dissipated, was too far in a state of exhaustion to even formulate words. The launch sequence was already initiated and by the time Sebastian could fully comprehend it, he was floating away from the _ Seeker of Truth _ and falling fast, back to Reach. Back to _ her _ . Back to _ them _. 

The worst part of it all… he didn’t get to thank the Huragok who risked their lives for him.

* * *

An unidentified object passed through the air space of a well-hidden UNSC firebase. They have these set up all over Reach in places even the Covenant wouldn’t dare come near to. “Uh, sir. We have Covenant inbound!” Everyone in the station stopped and had looks of fear painted across their faces. For good reason too.

The commanding officer looked at the corpsman, “How many?”

“That’s the thing, sir. It is only one pod,” he replied. “I would say it was a scouting party, but normal Covenant scouting parties are much larger than this. I would advise extreme caution, sir.”

“Agreed. Send our scouts out there to investigate, have the snipers cover them on the east and west sides,” the Commander said pointing to spots on the corpsman’s map. The south and north flanks can be covered by the party, but I leave the discretion to them.”

“Sir, yes sir,” he said before going for the PA system. “Charlie Delta squads one and two report to the Command Center.”

Soon after, around fifteen people, male and female, all stood at attention. “We have a Covenant reading. Your orders are to investigate and only engage if you are spotted and the threat is deemed hostile, understood?”

“Sir, yes sir!” they all replied in unison before making headway to the armory and grabbing their gear. Without much conversation, they loaded up and headed out to investigate.

* * *

In all of the times Sebastian was trapped in a small space, he at least _ knew _ what buttons to push and how to get out of there. In this Covenant pod, all the buttons were foreign and oddly placed, so naturally, he pressed all of the ones he could at least make out before the sound of hissing and the front cover popped off. Sebastian had to squint in order to see, the sun of all things was blinding him. Sebastian stumbled out of the pod before going to his knees. His head was spinning and he needed to get his priorities straight. He was going to pass out soon.

Sebastian felt pressure in his head, everything was swarming through his head, he was struggling to remember what had just transpired, but one goal was brought to mind. He had to find her. He had to find them and make sure they were alright. Traveler only knows what Dove is going through, even what Faye is going through. _ Where are they? _

Once he stood up, he willed himself to go forward and he would not stop until he could find them or at least get back to them before he actually drops dead. He must have lost focus before he stumbled again, and caught himself. His mind felt like soup. A soup that could leak out of his head if given the chance. The physical strains on his body have reached its max, because after a few days, or what seemed like a few days, of torture made him not even register his surroundings. It felt like all of his senses were nullified. His knives were the polar opposite of his senses, but that won’t do him good without the former in tip-top shape.

He didn’t even realize that he had fallen over until he felt his helmet hit the ground. His vision blurred and he slumped and he just knew he was not in any sort of condition to even move; much less stand. If he couldn’t even walk, how could he even know where to search?

A voice was heard and it was muffled but he could make out, “Do we know anyone by that name?” Sebastian was delirious because, after his experience, he would take the sweet release of death over _ this _. 

“I’ve already run a search, no matches, so whoever it is, this person needs to find them, or it could be a hallucination,” and it was then that Sebastian had realized he was mumbling ‘Faye’ constantly.

Right before his vision failed him, he felt hands under his arm, and stump, and legs and then he felt himself being lifted and taken away. He wanted to fight but his body demanded rest and his whole being slumped to the side, letting his vision and his mind finally blackout.

* * *

“What do you mean, Dove? Are you telling me he escaped?!” Faye said exasperated. _ That means if he escaped, he’s on the planet. We have to find him. _

_ “That’s exactly what I’m saying. The connection between us was really weak, and when the Traveler saved me, it whispered to me...” _ she trailed off. Dove hesitated to say this, but she needed to swallow that ‘lump in her throat’ and just say it. _ “He has acquired the powers of the Void.” _

Faye stopped, “Does that mean he…”

_ “He very well could be, without a Ghost to help settle, it could have adverse effects, but I know he has a strong will, so he will make it through this. Trust me on that. I’ve got years and years of backlogs on examples of his will. If anyone can get past it, he can. The fact that he escaped has to mean something. I am just worried about what kind of damage they inflicted on him,” _Dove said timidly, revealing her worries about when they reunite.

“For the time I’ve known him, he has displayed that he is perfectly capable of handling himself, and this time is no different,” while her words sounded uncaring, they were anything but. They were to hide the building emotion she has, and Dove knew it.

_ “I don’t know how he escaped, but I’m just glad he did,” _Dove sighed before going silent.

“Don’t you know where he is? Isn’t that something you can do?” Faye asked boldly.

_ “It isn’t echolocation if you are wondering. I just feel his presence, but I don’t know if he feels me. I can feel it constantly, but he would have to actively search for our connection. Right now, it’s humming for me, meaning he’s out cold, but he isn’t freaking out. So, he must have escaped and passed out, but since he hasn’t had a major temper flash, he’s safe for now,” _ Dove hummed as she spoke, trying to _ actually _ locate him. The one time she wants it to actually work like that.

Faye scoffed softly before radioing Kat, “Noble Two? It’s Noble Six, any updates?”

The response was immediate, _ “No, but we did hear you stopped at the anomaly, anything you want to say for yourself?” _

“Dove’s fine, she really needed to visit it. Turns out, it was something of hers,” Faye said with genuine optimism. “I’ll have to explain it when we meet up.”

Kat almost dropped the call because she didn’t want to believe that Faye had actually spoken _ positively _ . Normally, it’s a neutral statement or something vaguely positive, only one’s interpretation could make it positive. _ “Sorry, I’m just acknowledging the fact you said something positive.” _

“I’m not that bad, am I?” Faye teased, a small smile playing at her lips.

_ “You’re worse.” _

“In other news, Seven is still alive, and on Reach,” Faye dropped the bomb on them.

_ “Since when?!” _Kat exclaimed through the radio. Faye swears she heard something crashing in the background. However, it still doesn’t feel complete without Sebastian or Jorge. The latter’s dog tags rest in one of her pouches and it feels like it was burning a hole in said pouch.

“I only knew about it as of five minutes ago, Kat, and trust me, you aren’t the only one who is surprised,” Faye whispered. _I really want to know how he escaped._ _What happened to him on that ship? Wait, what condition is he in? Dove may have said that he’s calm and passed out, but what if…_ Faye’s thoughts were cut short by the clinking of Dove’s shell against her armor. “I’ll see you soon, sister,” and Faye cut the link. Kat, meanwhile, was left in a frenzy.

“Hello? I was trying to get your attention since you spaced out; you were thinking about him, weren’t you?” Dove asked smugly. Faye was delighted to see that her spunk hasn’t gone away, even with all this. “You don’t need to worry. Ever since the Traveler gave me more Light, I have an increased read on his emotions, only until I get back to him. Currently, he’s resting, thinking about us, if we are safe,” _ Mental ‘aw’ moment, _ Dove thought. “It’ll wear off within hours of our reuniting. My question for you, _ Faye _, what are you going to do about what he said in the message?”

Faye thought about his message, where he… _ oh right… he admitted his feelings for me. _ For once in her lifetime, she didn’t have a solid answer, “I… I don’t know?” The words came out as a question, rather than a statement.

“So, you’re telling me that you don’t know? You’re telling _ me _ that after my Guardian poured his heart out to you, a Spartan, about how he feels, you don’t know? After all this time, after all the side glances at him, after all the _ concern _ you have for him, and after all of the pent-up sexual tension that you two have, but won’t act on, for good reason mind you… You. Don’t. Know?! Come on!” Dove’s eye was starting to turn red, angry that she won’t just admit it. _ Swallow that Spartan pride, missy, and tell him how you feel! He’s as emotionally starved as you are! Every Guardian, and Spartan, need cuddles sometimes, but it means more if it is with the right person. _

Faye had to admit, the red-eye is actually quite intimidating when directed at her. The Spartan swallowed the lump in her throat and looked right at the Ghost, her voice small, “I don’t know if I’m good enough for him considering my file...”

Silence.

The only sound heard was the Pelican’s engines. “That’s what you are worried about? I’ve seen the glances he throws at you. I’ve listened to his thoughts, only the ones he doesn’t consciously think about protecting, and he’s had trouble outright admitting it to you. He doesn’t care about your file, he only cares about _ you _ !” Dove’s voice squeaked. “You both have some confidence issues, which is kinda cute when it’s obvious; you two would work well together, both on _ and _ off the battlefield.”

Faye didn’t have many words to say about this, so she said nothing else at all. That was until she had a thought, “What do you mean ‘off the battlefield?’ And he also cares about you.”

Dove snickered, “Oh, nothing of importance, my dear Faye. He cares about me platonically, because that is what we are designed to be. There have been some… less than desirable relationships between Ghost and Guardian, but those are few and far between.”

Silence once again ensues until the pilot informs them that they are arriving at a make-shift base, a few dozen miles outside New Alexandria. The skies were clear of Covenant and once the Pelican set down, Faye let an exasperated sigh before standing. Since the adrenaline has long since worn off, Faye was feeling the full extent of her injuries, especially her leg. She almost didn’t step off the Pelican in slight fear of falling. It’s one thing for a Marine to fall, but a super-soldier, who was built for war; it would mean the end of the world in the eyes of some.

On the bright side, Faye noticed Kat, Carter, Emile, and Jun at a doorway, most likely the entrance. She looked to Dove, who clinked against her visor before disappearing back into the module. Kat had noticed Faye and her physical appearance, and well, she looked terrible. Her chest piece looked like it was about to fall off, her shoulders and arms were scratched to hell, and her leg armor had massive dents in them. Once Kat was in within earshot, she let Faye know, “Do you know how _ horrendous _ you look?”

Faye looked down and seemed to finally notice her armor was in serious need of replacement and repair. Sucking a breath between her teeth, she agreed. “Could you, uhm, help me walk? I’ve had biofoam break on my leg, twice, during Newport.”

Kat grabbed Faye by the arm and basically fireman carried her over to the rest of Noble Team. _ Not actually, but it was pretty close _. Once she was able to stand, Carter was immediately on her, “So, tell us what happened.”

Faye only needed one clarification, “Where do you want me to start? Before or after the Supercarrier’s destruction?”

* * *

Sebastian’s eyes rolled from the back of his head to actually in front of him. He felt drugged like someone tried to make him OD on morphine or something. His eyes opened and felt immediate nausea. The good thing about not eating, you don’t vomit. The bad thing, the reflex still works so he just turned to the side and dry-heaved. His eyes watered, but thankfully nothing came out. _ Well, duh, that’s what dry heaving is. _ His helmet was on, but once his vision cleared, he looked around to see he was in a medical ward of sorts. His armor remained untouched. The door swung open and Sebastian was immediately on guard. It turns out that it was a petite brunette. Must be a medic. “Oh, you’re up,” she said, eyes wide.

“Hmm,” Sebastian hummed. He looked to see his arm have a saline solution in a drip. “I assume this was because I was severely dehydrated?”

The nurse looked surprised that he spoke to her, “Y-Yes. They uh, wanted to know when you woke up.”

“As long as I can leave as soon as possible, fine. But if I’m going to get babied, then that’s a hard pass from me. I need to get back to Noble Team,” Sebastian was about to say ‘Faye’, but he was quick enough to not stutter.

“Regulation requires-”

“Please spare me with that,” Sebastian begged. “Where I am from, regulations are sorta lax… that and we mostly ignore them”. Sebastian reached to take his helmet off but was given a warning. With an accusing tone, “You all tried to take my helmet off, didn’t you?”

“We tried, yes, but that was because we were going to put you on oxygen,” the nurse responded. Oh, so they were actually being considerate.

“Here’s a question I should have asked; Where am I?” Sebastian inquired.

“That’s a question for the Commander,” the nurse, whose ID said her name was ‘Serena’.

“Well, Serena, let’s go ask the Commander shall we?” Sebastian asked as Serena gave a look of ‘how did he?’ and Sebastian tapped the left side of his chest before ripping out the IV and swinging his legs over the side. He can deal with the wound later because pulling an IV out with one arm is a lot more difficult than one would think.

Sebastian also realized that his bruises weren’t letting up, but he powered through the pain. Until he got back to Dove, the pain was his constant friend.

Serena’s protests of getting up fell on deaf ears as he opened the door. Sebastian walked outside the wing to see a bunch of Marines doting over something. Upon closer inspection, he noticed it was his knives. _ No wonder why I felt lighter. _ One of the Marines was holding it like a throwing knife, but when they pulled back, it flung out of his hands, heading directly for Sebastian. The Marines looked where the knife went and they saw a not-so impressed Guardian, holding the knife by the blade, mere inches from his face. “What gave you the right to touch my things?” his voice angry, and about two seconds away from snapping.

They said nothing as he waltzed by them, grabbed all the knives off the table, except for one. It was actually his favorite knife that was missing. He side-eyed one of them scooting off towards the exit. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll hand me that knife, and trust me, you are the _ last _ people I want to hurt.”

“What are you going to do about it?” one of them said, quite bravely, might he add.

Sebastian’s eyes under the helmet flickered, the Void was angry, but Sebastian kept a wary eye on his emotions. His left arm formed the Void arm, and the Marines stepped back in horror. “You all could be dead in the next ten seconds. I’ve had a rough couple of days, and it all started with destroying that Supercarrier.” Sebastian’s voice bounced between the echo and the normal version.

“Wait, you were apart of Operation: Uppercut?” the same Marine said.

“Yes, now, give me the knife before I give you a knife,” Sebastian’s voice was a full-on echo. The Marine timidly approached him and handed him his favorite knife. Once Sebastian sheathed the knife, the Void dissipated and the Guardian exhaled a breath. “Thank you. Now, I need to talk to your CO.” His breathing was heavier than he thought, if this continued, he might just end up on that bed again.

“Right here, G7,” a familiar voice said. One that Sebastian thought he would never hear again.

Sebastian recoiled in shock, “Colonel Holland?”

The old man chuckled, “Yes, that’s me. Let’s talk in the Command Center, shall we?”

Sebastian nodded before looking at the Marines and chuckling as they subconsciously took a step back. It wasn’t his intention to make them fear him, but that knife is pretty important. A last memento. He would be damned not to lose it.

Once inside the Command Center, Sebastian looked around to see no one else, “Is this all some sort of elaborate plan to kill me? I’ve had enough dances with death without actually meeting it today, so let’s get on with it.”

“What actually happened to you? From what the grapevine tells me, you were on board a Covenant flagship,” Holland said. Sebastian noticed the wrinkles were much more prominent than before. _ The stress of war gets to everyone. _ Sebastian reached under his neck and pressed a release, letting the hissing cut through the air. Lowering his cloak, he pulled his helmet off wit reveal his face. He was pretty sure that Holland has seen his face, so he wasn’t that worried. His hair was matted in several places and he probably looked like death, _ ironic. _

“I was, yes. As you can see, I managed to get out,” Sebastian put his helmet down and gestured to his form.

“What did they acquire from you? Anything related to the UNSC?” Holland’s voice was stern and menacing.

“Thankfully, the UNSC never came up. You are familiar with my abilities, aren’t you?” Holland nodded. “Well, the Covenant, specifically the Supreme Commander was very interested and allowed a squad of female Sangheili the honor to ‘interrogate’ me. It’s a miracle that I lived, and to save you time, I’d rather not talk about it right now. However, I have multiple bruises that just won’t go away. That can be remedied later.”

“Female… Sangheili?” Holland’s voice was skeptical, as he should be.

“Apparently, it is only males that are allowed into their army, but I guess they were exceptions,” Sebastian shrugged. “It was weird though, while I was on the bridge by order of their commander, they asked me to show them one of my abilities since they have been watching me for some time,” seeing Holland’s face harden once more Sebastian continued, “I didn’t even know they were there, plus we had other priorities. Point being, a beam of Light shot up from the surface and hit me in the chest, allowing me to ‘demonstrate’ my Gun.”

“Speaking of that beam, Sebastian. I’ve heard reports of a Spartan stopping by, along with an identified object. There was a barrier preventing them from even examining it,” Holland pulled up a video feed from the excavation site and Sebastian’s jaw hit the floor. _ So it wasn’t a dream _.

There in the video was the real shard. Sebastian had his reservations about it existing, but now that was proof. What made his heart soar and fall at the same time was seeing Faye and Dove. It looked like they were speaking and then it showed Faye holding out her hand and Dove passed easily through the barrier. _ Does that mean… _ “I have to go there, and if not there, I have to find them.” His eyes went right to Holland, a new determination in those blue irises of his.

“I was hoping you would say that, Sebastian. I have a Pelican prepped to take you to the firebase where Noble Team is currently residing at. Knowing Noble One, he is probably talking to Noble Six now about what happened at Uppercut.”

The sudden reminder of Jorge’s fate made Sebastian’s optimistic mood plummet faster than the Collapse. “I offered to do it for him, the slipspace drive firing, I could have, but from what I learned about Spartan-IIs is that you can’t change their mind. Not when they have it set on something.”

“That is true. We’ll all miss him,” the silence stretched between the two gentlemen.

“So, about that Pelican ride?” Sebastian asked lowly.

“Before you go, one last clarification. They were only interested in you?” Holland had to make sure.

“Yep, they did get a good look at my most recent addition,” and Sebastian let his Void arm form. His voice quivered as it echoed, “This is something I need my Ghost for.” then it disappeared and Sebastian blinked rapidly to clear his vision.

“My last question, then you can go, how will your experience affect your mental state?” Sebastian winced at the question, but it was only fair since he _ was _ a prisoner on board a Covenant ship not too long ago. It would give anyone PTSD.

“I… don’t really have an answer. I already lived through one traumatic event, so my senses are slightly numb to the trauma. That doesn’t mean I won’t be affected. I was sort of recovering from the first one,” Sebastian gestured to his missing arm. “This one will add on it to it. I am just hoping that I never have to experience it again,” Sebastian said blankly before putting his helmet back on. “Point me to the Pelican, Colonel. The fight is not over yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it probably felt like too many transitions, but let's be real. This is a filler chapter compared to others. While I try to make all my chapters have plot points go from A to B. sometimes, that doesn't work.
> 
> On the plus side, I have their meet up in mind, but I may also hold off on Chapter 18 for now, as I wanted to do something special for this upcoming Friday. While I'm not in a relationship, at this time, that doesn't mean I can't do some sappy romance shit.
> 
> The special will NOT be apart of the story but will be added as a Chapter. Call it a bonus, and it will be very short. Like, four times fewer words. Just something small.
> 
> TL;DR: Valentine's Day Special outside of story's canon. Expect on Friday sometime, if I'm not swamped with College work.
> 
> Have a good day/evening/night!
> 
> -Horus


	18. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's an update a few days after I should have. Right before I go on break from college. So enjoy!

Sebastian was quickly escorted to the awaiting Pelican where he would be heading to where Noble Team was. The Guardian took this downtime to look for Dove in his mind. Now that he doesn’t have to protect it, he can let his guard down to find her. Sebastian searched within his mind and looked for that small spark that was Dove. It turns out that he didn’t have to look very hard. Dove’s spark was almost blinding, he almost confused it for another spark of Light.

Sebastian almost felt overwhelmed and realized that Dove was just fine. He sighed loudly in relief as he let a genuine smile graced his lips. _ She was safe _ . While he found Dove’s spark, he could feel what Dove felt about Faye. _ Trust _. So, she earned Dove’s trust. It must have been quite the situation that would allow her to trust her on the same level as himself. What Sebastian didn’t except was Dove’s spark to push back. The words were garbled, but Sebastian could understand they were quick words and were filled with relief and excitement.

He let his guard down so Dove could run amuck in his mind. If it was what made her calm, then he let her. The Hunter took his time to sink into the seat and fiddle with his fingers in a consistent rhythm on his thigh. The little _ clinks _ and _ taps _ were just audible to his ears.

Sebastian soon felt everything over the past few days weigh down on him. All the bruises and pain he suffered came back at full force. Sebastian held onto one of the grips close to him as he felt his body lurch forward. The only thing stopping him from hitting the ground was the bar he managed to grab. His mind was still unguarded, so even if he could, he didn’t put it up. _ This has to be because of the separation, it may have caused adverse effects. Then again, wouldn’t it have gotten worse? _ Sebastian’s vision blurred and he felt a migraine coming on. He never got them, but he knew what the symptoms were, blurry vision, dizziness, and exhaustion. He would need a few days to recuperate. Just as the Pelican was setting down, his vision blurred to nothing. _ This is really getting old, _was Sebastian’s last thought as he went under.

* * *

“Let’s start with right after,” Carter’s voice answered Faye’s question. “A lot has happened over these past four days. Ever since the Covenant fleet came to back them up, everyone is getting backed into corners.”

Faye nodded, while Dove was lurking about. “Once we made it to the surface, after…” she pulled out Jorge’s dog tags. “After this, Sebastian and I got separated. We both fell unconscious upon reentry. I was only awake long enough to see him get captured,” Faye looked away as she explained.

Dove appeared, “I promised Sebastian I would stay and deliver a message for him. He didn’t want me to get captured while I was with him. As of right now, he’s on Reach, so he’s escaped.”

“We know,” Carter said.

Dove couldn’t contain her outburst, “You know?! What do you mean, ‘we know’?”

“Colonel Holland had found him in a Covenant escape pod, half-delirious. He was murmuring your name, Six,” Carter explained. Faye, however, flushed a very deep red. Chuckles from Jun and Emile were heard as they knew what he meant.

“Seems like she is finally realizing it,” Emile idly commented.

“More than you know, Four,” Faye shot back dryly. “So, what else do you know that I don’t?”

“Besides the fact that he’s on his way here, nothing else. But continue on with your ‘report’, Six. What happened at New Alexandria?” Carter’s word on ‘report’ was not a suggestion, it was an order.

Faye sighed but winced when she tried to move her leg. She continued to explain how she went through the city, killing Covenant along the way. She also explained what happened to Dove. However, she omitted telling them about Sebastian’s past, as it was not her place. That would be something that he would have to bring up when he got here. Faye had to admit, just the mere prospect of having Sebastian again, safe from the Covenant warmed her heart. Much more than she thought. _ Is this what having feelings is like? _

Dove was giving Faye a curious look. The Ghost could feel the emotion dripping off the Spartan, and Dove emoted a small smile. She was all fine and dandy until a sharp pain made her halt in her tracks. “Aah!”

Faye’s immediate attention was on Dove and quickly plucked her out of the air, “What’s wrong?” the care unmasked in her voice. _It’s probably Sebastian._ _Did his Pelican get shot down?_

“T-The pain… it just… all came back. I t-think it was... the separation. We’ve been... t-too far apart for... t-too long,” her voice small compared from before. _ Why does the world have to be so cruel to the innocent ones? _

Faye’s eyes narrowed, she was so going to give him a lecture. The rest of Noble was observing their sixth member, noticing the care she was giving the Ghost. Kat was much keener than the others. She was taking notes, something to show her later.

It didn’t really matter at this point, but Faye wasn’t in a position to move. “Get me to a medical bay, I need to be on my feet ASAP. I can’t just sit around. We can continue this conversation at a later junction,” her tone was now icy. She was not going to take ‘no’ for an answer. If Faye did get an answer of ‘no’ then she would go there herself, no matter what.

Carter gave Emile and Jun a nod of his head and both of them gently picked up Faye under her arms before Faye put Dove back in the pouch. The female Spartan allowed them to get her to her feet and limp. Thankfully, the Marines and troopers were out of sight.

That was when Faye heard a Pelican arrive and stopped. She craned her head to look over her shoulder and even from this distance, she couldn’t forget what his armor looked like. All she saw was him slumped on the floor, his hand holding his head. He wasn’t moving.

Dove felt that her Guardian was close, and that was what convinced her to leave the pouch and with little to no grace, fly over to him. They _ cannot _ be separated any longer than they have too. Dove was already predicting that she wasn’t going to be leaving his side at all. If she had to drag her shell on the ground to get to him, then so be it. “N-Need to… see him,” Dove croaked aloud, gaining the attention of Kat.

“Dove, you won’t be able to fly to him yet, you can barely hold yourself up,” Faye’s voice fell on the deaf audio receptors of the Ghost. Jun and Emile continued to guide her away, even though her struggling had increased tenfold.

Kat saw the Ghost’s line of sight and decided to help with her objective. Carefully, Kat used her normal hand to pick her up from where she was just hovering above the ground. Dove didn’t protest, which Kat didn’t believe she could right now. The medical team was already on their way out to the now arriving Pelican. Dove’s shell began to hum and grew in intensity as Kat moved closer to where Sebastian was. Sebastian’s body inside the Pelican began to twitch, but he did not jolt to life, yet. His body laid flat on the ground, back to the floor. His fingers rolled into a fist and then they released, only to do it again moments later.

Kat had reached what was considered ‘close enough’ and waited. The Spartan cradled the Ghost with the utmost care. Knowing from past actions that Sebastian would kill, or attempt to kill, anyone who harmed her. Kat took one last fleeting glance at Faye as Jun and Emile carried her off to the medical ward. She was protesting, but she insisted on being there, so with a nod from both of them, they picked her up, since she was slightly shorter than them and carried her away. Her protests weren’t heard from that point on. Noble Team actually didn’t expect the Pelican to arrive that quick, nor did they expect Faye’s reaction. Holland must have waited a few minutes to inform Carter. Then again, Faye had known he was on Reach again, but not how close.

However, Dove didn’t feel like waiting, she has waited long enough. She abruptly left Kat’s hand and immediately went inside the Pelican and Dove’s mechanical heart almost broke at the sight. He was murmuring saying ‘No’ and ‘You won’t touch her.’ Even in this state, Dove felt a small feeling of elation rise within her. Yet, that was crushed with the potential things they did to him.

Dove went closer to him as the medics were checking him over. The medics didn’t notice her, granted they were focused on Sebastian, but they should have seen her float over and land on his chest. The medics stopped and were about to gently move Dove, but Sebastian’s hand covered her shell.

Sebastian felt it. _ She’s right here _. Dove was with him now, but it set his fears to flight. When his eyes closed, he was back in the ship, an actual dream turned nightmare. He watched as they beat him down for hours. He watched as they took her away from him. The phantom pain lingering with every hit. The amount of twitching that Sebastian’s body was doing, one might think he was prone to seizures. Yet, his hand never tensed, as he didn’t want to hurt Dove. It was the reassurance he needed.

Dove transmatted away from his hand, back into the familiar dimension of her Guardian. She immediately began pouring the excess Light into him, hoping to calm him down.

Suddenly, Sebastian’s mind went numb, the dreams stopped, everything just faded away and all he was faced with Dove. _ Oh, thank the Traveler. _

_ Sebastian… _

_ What? How? _ Sebastian surely thought he lost it this time.

_ I’m right here, and next time, I’m not going anywhere Mister. _ Dove was laying down the ground rules. _ We can never do that again. It pains us both _. Sebastian agreed.

On the outside, all they saw was Dove was no longer resting in Sebastian’s hand on his chest, and in her place, a glowing tattoo that showed _ through _ his armor.

* * *

Faye was brought into a bland hospital room, courtesy of Jun and Emile who carried her. Since she wasn’t going to be able to convince them to put her down, she just stopped talking and let them help her. _ I have to say it is nice to not be a lone wolf again. _ The walls of the room were white, the sheets were white, everything was too _ white _ in here. The only contrast was the slight light blue colors on the curtains that matched his eyes. _ Where the hell did that thought come from? _ Faye honed her attention on the mess of words that she vaguely heard, “Wait, she did _ what _ now?” Faye spoke once the medics set her leg right again. She was currently out of armor as they needed access to her leg, once set, they gave her some instructions, even though they know she won’t listen, they told her to _ try _ and stay off the leg. As much as they didn’t want to give her a crutch, they left one close by, just in case. Faye was being given updates from an awe-struck Kat.

“She just… disappeared into his chest. She _ sunk _ into his chest, passing through his body like water. The weird part was the glowing tattoo on his chest. It looked like her, but I couldn’t possibly tell if it was generic or an exact look of what he calls a ‘Ghost’,” Kat didn’t know how else to describe it. Emile had stopped sharpening his knife, while Jun was looking on with enthused interest. Both of the male Spartans subtly glanced at Faye, then the monitor to her right. It went up a few beats, something to note.

Faye had to keep her heartbeat down and forced herself to be calm. _ I hate these heart rate monitors when they are hooked up to me. _ Faye shot an annoyed look towards the offending machine. She pretended not to notice the looks that Jun and Emile were giving her. Carter had checked in on Sebastian, but he remained unresponsive. As for Dove, well, she’s not dead… per se… just out of commission at the moment. Faye just laid back down, the bed groaning in protest, but held. She wanted a day to be left alone, to process this. Everything had turned upside down in matter of days. Then, if she was feeling well enough, she would go see him. It was the least she could do. Soon after, guilt pooled in her stomach, she felt as if it was her fault for his condition if she had just told her to go back, then maybe he would have better off.

The other three Spartans in the room made their exit, before leaving the door slightly ajar. Jun was the first to speak once out of range of immediate hearing distance, “They got it bad, huh?”

Emile scoffed, “You’re kidding me, right? It’s horrible. Kat, you saw her slightly jitter when you mentioned him at all. She’s finally coming out of her shell,” he laughed to himself as if he just told the funniest joke on Reach.

Kat corrected him, “No, she’s come out of that shell much more than you would believe,” gaining the inquisitive looks from the males.

“Well, are you going to elaborate?” Jun asked impatiently.

“We may be Spartans, but this ‘gossip’ stays between the ladies,” Kat commented. Just because she’s a Spartan doesn’t mean she won’t keep girl code.

A dissatisfied huff leaves Jun, while Emile,_ guess what _, scoffs again, not that he expected anything less. He has heard all about this ‘girl code’ as it is similar to guy code. Emile walked off to find Carter, or go to the range, or sharpen his knives… at the range.

Jun just grumbled while walking away and Kat opened the door to see Faye ‘sleeping’. “You know I know that you heard that, right? You can’t use the excuse of sleeping either. You were the most active and alert of the bunch, my dear Faye.” Kat wanted to tease her some more by adding, “What say you in your defense?”

Faye peered out of one eye, then went along with the jury comment, “Guilty, your honor,” and both of the female Spartans giggled, just a little bit. It was nice because it broke the tense atmosphere that settled upon the room.

Once Faye took a break to breathe, she asked, “Is it really that noticeable?”

“Faye, anything you do is noticeable. I’m just glad someone managed to make it through the rough exterior you display yourself as. It is not a weakness to express an emotion. From what some Spartan-IIs, way back, had said about emotion, they promptly said that their favorite pastimes that gave them joy… it never went away. They just couldn’t get back into whatever they enjoyed prior to the program. As Spartans, we may have suppressed emotions, not nullified emotions, but given enough time and experience, we learn that we are, in fact, _ human _ ,” Kat felt like she was lecturing her, _ and she was _, but it was worth seeing the multiple facial expressions that Faye was making ranging from shock to sad to mild disinterest, and then to curiosity, out of all things.

Faye didn’t look at Kat while she asked, “What about… love?” The wince was enough from the former’s end.

Kat grinned, “Oh? Does the former Lone Wolf have a little crush?” Kat laughed as Faye’s face turned a nice shade of crimson. “Six, it’s obvious. You care for him more than anything. I mean, look at the lengths you took to take care of his Ghost. You could’ve left her behind, but you know what, you didn’t. It sounds to me like you are trying to get into his good books.”

Faye said nothing, blushed some more, and when she finally got the chance to speak, Kat interrupted, “Don’t even try to deny it, sister. The rest of the squad has noticed your interest, and I am advising you to keep it under wraps. I know it might be difficult if he doesn’t but if you tell him off, then he may not speak to you.”

Faye just wanted her out of the room. Too many thoughts were swirling around in her head and it was causing her unwarranted stress. “I need time, Kat. Keep me updated, please.”

Seeing the now serious look on Faye’s face, Kat stood up, said her goodbyes, and closed the door. That didn’t stop Kat from breaking out in a cheesy smile as she strolled down the hallway.

* * *

Sebastian was in a room down the hallway, still out of it, with the recently acquired tattoo still glowing strong. It had not faded one bit as it still flashed, sometimes more than normal. That was because both of the people were talking.

_ ‘You’re crazy, you know that?’ _ Dove’s voice reached his ears. Sebastian chuckled in his mindscape. She was right as she normally was.

_ I know but, What happened? I felt so weak on that Pelican and I just knew you were close. _ Sebastian asked his Ghost, who he will never take her presence for granted again. Sebastian severely apologized and was quite nervous at what Dove would say in response.

_ ‘My guess is that since we were separated for so long and with all the stress you went through made your body just shut down to prevent any further damage. As for what happened, you just knew I was there and then you snatched me out of the air and put me on your chest. I then teleported myself into your mind, but on the outside, from what I can gather, I sunk into your chest like water. Now you have a nice shiner of me glowing through your armor,’ _Dove explained smugly.

_ How do you know this? I don’t remember doing any of that. The last thing I remember was grabbing you and feeling your Light again. _Sebastian must have been too far out of it to not notice these things, or even remember it.

Sebastian could feel Dove bristling through his mind, just outside of his mental reach, _ ‘I was right there when the Pelican brought you in. Faye had put me in a pouch since the pain from you came back, in a much more urgent matter. I was barely floating off the ground when Kat assisted me,’ _ she explained with no visible hints of resentment. Still, that made Sebastian feel guilty that he put Dove through that pain. Dove could sense his guilt and assured him, _ ‘Do not blame yourself. You did what you thought was right at the time. Now, we know not to do it again. I am your Ghost and I will be sticking with you like glue until we die for the final time, do you understand me?’ _

Sebastian felt the warm Light calm his now racing thoughts, and as Dove spoke, he realized what a foolish move he made when he sent her away. In reality, he needed her as much as she needed him. Dove came into Sebastian’s new life with a gift, and Dove knew she wouldn’t be able to take on another Guardian if that was even a thing. For most Ghosts, it is one and done, as their individual souls can’t take the breaking of their soul-bond with their respective Guardian.

_ I’m sorry, Dove. What will it take for you to forgive me? _Sebastian felt all of his sorrow and grief be put into that one sentence. He truly feels like he has done a disservice to his Ghost.

_ ‘Well, she did listen to the message you left, so why don’t you tell her how you feel in person?’ _ Dove’s tone went to a mischievous one and Sebastian didn’t know whether to praise her or make a joke about it. In the end, Sebastian started to let his thoughts drift into sleepy thoughts. He would have to figure out how and when to tell and hopefully, he’ll have something figured out before they get left alone again.

* * *

In Sebastian’s hospital room, his armor was still on, considering that they can’t get it off without his permission. He would have to do it himself, but the problem was, he was not conscious enough to do it. His body was laid on a bed and while they couldn’t get his armor off, they could hook him up to IVs to get some fluids back in him.

Carter was standing in wait close by, hoping to get some answers, Holland had informed Carter of their conversation and he needed some more specific details. Movement from the corner of his eye, he noticed something emerging from Sebastian’s body, the glowing tattoo brightened before it faded. Dove was now resting on his chest and her eye was facing Sebastian’s helmet. However, Dove knew someone else was here, and she knew exactly who, “Commander,” she said, her voice even and calm compared to before.

“How is he?” Carter asked, wanting to know when he can speak with Sebastian. The sooner the better.

“At peace currently. His body suffered severe lacerations that were healed, but not by me, and that is something I am looking into. If I applied some Light to his body, piece by piece, he could be within a day,” she turned to Carter, “and no I can’t make it any faster. If you want him to die permanently…” Dove’s voice turned thick with visible emotion.

Carter interpreted as leaving her to her own devices. “I understand, Dove, was it? Just let me know when he wakes up,” and with that, Carter left the room.

When he did, Dove transmatted Sebastian’s helmet off and what she saw made her want to go to the Covenant to make their ships self-destruct. His face has bruises all over it, his right eye was half-swollen shut while his left cheek was swollen and purple. No wonder they couldn’t get it off, it wouldn’t have gone over his head. The fact he got it over his face, means he must have been ignoring the pain. Dove began to apply trace amounts of healing Light to his face, trying to get the swelling to go down, starting with his eye. He might appreciate his vison more than his mouth. Then again, with Sebastian, Dove has to guess more than usual and that’s what he does to keep her on her toes.

Questions began to pop up in Dove’s mind, what happened up there? What did they do to him? Well, that one is obvious. There was an entire two day lapse in the last time they communicated and has been sitting idle for the past four hours did not sit well with the Ghost. She continued to hover over his face, and apply these trace amounts of Light and much to her relief, his eye swelled down to normal size. Then, as a final bit, she did one trace on his cheek, just to stir his healing process. Her relief increased as his cheek started to go down as well. Dove had one more thing to do. His arm, but she wanted to wait until he was awake to ask him. For now, she made an exact duplicate of his robot arm, but she needs to come clean about it. Ever since she told Faye that she stored a ‘being’ of him with his normal arm, the guilt has slowly chipped away at her walls, and she doesn’t know how he was going to react when she told him. It should have been easier to just let him know, but why she kept it secret, maybe it was because she failed to help him back when the SIVA virus infected him. The sounds of his screams still give her nightmares.

Dove looked at his face again and saw that it was healing perfectly fine. Her metadata showed his body’s recent injuries and saw multiple signs of distress. His ribs were the primary target. While sifting through the data, Dove found anomalies that somehow coincide with the Traveler, but that doesn’t make sense._ Unless the rumors of the Traveler actually traveling through time and space are true. _ “That doesn’t seem possible, but given how we ended up here, was it possible the Traveler pulled us out of the Vex network and dropped us here?” Considering they entered a Vex portal then ended up here, it wasn’t that far of a leap.

A knock on the door startled the thinking Ghost and said, “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” said the voice.

It sounded like… “Faye… uhm, come in, come in,” and the door opened to show the out-of-armored Spartan in her skintight undersuit and a crutch. Eyeing the leg, “Was it that bad?”

A small chuckle escaped the Spartan, “It was indeed, it will take most of the day to set, but add in biofoam and it will stir the process even further ahead. I’ll be back on my feet in no time." Her eyes flicked to Sebastian, “How is he?”

“You should have seen him ten minutes ago, his face looked terrible, he must not have felt the pain, but his swelling was massive. His ribs have seen better days, not including when you punched him to make him breathe. The Covenant knew all the places to hit and keep him alive. Oddly enough, I can’t seem to find the tattoo you all have mentioned in passing. Could you kindly point it out?” Dove said shifting her shell.

Faye raised an eyebrow in surprise as she pointed to the center of his chest, right above where Dove was. The Ghost looked down in confusion, “I don’t see it, have you tried getting an image of it, or do your cameras not pick it up?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, Dove,” Faye said while she stared at him, not ashamed in the slightest. While he was gone, she missed his presence and now, her sitting here just inches away from him made her feel calm.

Dove was watching her eyes and even from her position, the tension was rising. “So, what’s the plan now? The Covenant aren’t going to stop just because we are resting. We have a plan, don’t we?”

“Again, I’ve been in the medical ward for these past few hours, so I have not heard any plans being discussed,” Faye smirked at the eager Ghost.

A raspy voice pulled them away from their conversation, “Oh… and here I was trying to plot my revenge.” the voice immediately let out a groan, “Why do I feel like four Titans smashed my brain into oblivion?”

Both ladies turned towards Sebastian, whose eyes were squinting in the light. Dove immediately went for his neck and settled there, her shell vibrating softly. “You passed out, remember? I checked and your migraine, and it turns out it was because we’re finally together again.” Faye was set where she could grab his hand. Thankfully, his arm was exposed because of the IV and Faye reached out and grabbed his hand. Once her hand encompassed his, Sebastian flinched, which didn’t go unnoticed by either of the females. Dove was worried, _ what did they do to you? _ She sent calming waves of Light to him and soon after, his muscles released their tension.

“Glad you’re back to the land of the living, you had us worried,” Dove said softly.

Sebastian blinked, hoping his eyes would adjust to the light, his hand closed around Faye’s and he squeezed as if trying to make sure that she was actually there and not a hallucination. He took one stabilizing breath before looking at her, he was sure that he was alive and that she was still there. Sebastian’s eyes eventually adjusted to the lights and he blinked to see Faye smiling softly back at him. “Welcome back,” she whispered, her hand still in his.

“You had us worried, well me more than her, but we are never doing that again, do you hear me, Guardian?” Dove wanted to make sure that she starts scolding him. “She had to jump over a railing and catch me because the pain knocked us both out.”

That brought Sebastian up to an alerted status, “Wait, you fell?!” then he turned to Faye, “And you jumped over a railing to catch her?” Faye nodded slowly. “Was it badass?” Which that response got both of them to chuckle. “I’m just glad you kept her safe for me. There would be no doubt that if she died, I would have found a way to go with her.”

Faye didn’t know how to react and from where Sebastian was, he could see it, her fear of losing… _him?_ _Well… she did view the message, but it didn’t get through to her, right?_ “Faye, you have to understand that Dove is literally half my soul. Without her, I become a hollow man. Ghost bonds are important to Guardians, but sometimes, that doesn’t even stop them. Those are the strong ones,” his voice got stronger as he spoke. “That doesn’t mean that she has control over my heart.”

Faye’s breath hitched, _ he meant it… _ she realized that he wasn’t joking, and upon making eye contact, she saw the seriousness in his eyes.”I don’t expect you to return them at all, and if it came down to it, I would keep my distance.”

Faye’s heart rate steadily increased and thankfully, there was no monitor attached to her, because it was beating faster than ever before. “But w-what about my file?”

Dove gave Faye a disapproving look, and Sebastian could sense that these two have had this conversation before. With that being said, he would clear the air, “I don’t give a flying fuck about your file, Faye! I care about _ you! _ There I said it aloud. Is that what you wanted me to say? I never cared about your file. A file is just a fancy way to say words on paper,” he coughed violently.

Once he sucked in a huge breath and exhaled, he continued, “I don’t know when I started too, but I don’t regret it, and if it was up to me, I would say the Traveler was playing matchmaker.”

Dove interrupted, “I have some theories I would share, but I’ll just see myself out. This is something between you two, and as much as I want to stay, I have to go inform the Commander that you are awake.” In actuality, she could just hijack communications and tell him that way, but she _ really _ wants to see what they are going to do. “Seb, are you going to be able to live without your arm for a few more minutes?”

“Yes, _ mother _, now go, please,” he said with irritation, not at her, but at Faye. Dove nodded, and she floated out of the room with blazing speed, but she hid an audio recorder to make sure she caught everything, in case one of them steps out of line.

Once Sebastian was sure she left the room, he turned back to the chocolate brown eyes that he missed so much. They showed much more vulnerability than normal, and Sebastian’s most likely reflected the same. “Are you insecure?”

Faye sputtered as she tried to come up with a response and Sebastian laughed a little at her expense, “A fully augmented super-soldier, is afraid of admitting she’s caught a case of the feels. Faye, I can understand that on so many levels you don’t even know. I was like that before. Insecure, didn’t know how to go about addressing these newfound feelings, the whole nine yards.”

Sebastian let go of her hand to push himself up into a position where his back was against the headboard, so he could look right at her instead of up at her. Faye set her face in a relaxed manner, “I don’t really know how to feel. War is all I’ve ever known, even since I was a child. You know the program, what they did, what _ I _ did. War was a constant. I’ve never experienced _ this _ before,” she waved her free hand around to emphasize her point, “so it _ is _ all new to me.”

“I’ll understand if you don’t want to pursue whatever we have. I’ve been alive for three hundred years, so I still have time, but eventually, time all blends together and it feels like one giant slog through the mud. And so it comes down to living in the moment,” Sebastian said with a far-off look in his eyes, not even looking at Faye.

Faye was debating whether or not to go through with it and she decided that she had nothing else to lose. Her other hand cupped his cheek and she leaned in and kissed him for the first time. Sebastian didn’t expect it and at first, there were groans of ‘mmphm’ but slowly he accepted it. Her lips felt as soft as he imagined, even more so. It was like it was just them there, no Covenant, no war, just the two of them suspended in time. Sebastian had lightly grabbed her wrist to hold himself up because, without it, he would have slumped back in bliss. 

Faye never knew how much she was missing out on until she finally gathered the courage needed to do this. She felt and heard his heart rate going up, if the beeping was any indication. She honestly forgot that it was in the room. Faye wasn’t the best kisser, but she knew enough and that was what she was using. She was proud of her choice and smiled as she broke the kiss. She sat back while gazing into his eyes, biting her lip, before getting up, “Does that count for ‘living in the moment’, Seb?” she asked as she left the room, still smiling and much more confident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Whistles casually*
> 
> So, had the Valentine's day special not been in my schedule, this would have been the next thing you would have read. This was how I was expecting their meeting up to go, I just had unfortunate timing.
> 
> Don't expect me to go all out when describing the *stuff*, if anything, it'll be heavily implied later down the line.
> 
> Also, sorry for the later than usual update, was busy working on a side project, (another story), so that's in my plans.


	19. Unseen Penalty

Sebastian’s hand went to his lips as if hers were still on his. He never thought he would get that far in ever. On the bright side, he didn’t feel like keeling over, so his migraine wasn’t threatening to blind him. “Dove, did you see that?”

She appeared a moment later and was physically beaming, “Hmm, I don’t know, if you are referring to if I saw a certain Spartan lip-locked with my Guardian? Then, no I didn’t.”

“Dove...” Sebastian said with a groan. “I honestly didn’t believe that I would get this far with her. I know she knows how I feel about her, but… how do I respond to that?!”

“Well, you could just accept it. Be glad your feelings are returned. In most cases, about 72% of people who admit their feelings are usually not returned. So consider yourself lucky,” Dove shrugged, as well as a Ghost could.

Sebastian huffed, “I know, which is why I am itching to get up and move. I’ve been sitting for far too long.”

Dove floated in front of him, “We need to talk before you go anywhere,” the playful tone now replaced with a serious tone. “It is about your arm. I still have a copy of you with it, even after all these years and before you say I lied to you about it; you never asked about if I ever kept it. The guilt from these past few years has caught up with me. I’m asking you once and for all, do you want your _ actual _ arm back?”

Sebastian looked shocked that she would bring it up, but the Void flared in his veins, causing the Void arm to reappear, albeit vaguely. Dove just rolled her eye and disappeared and then seconds later she came back.

With it being only seconds for Sebastian, it was actually a lot more time for Dove, she had guided the three sparks to co-exist with each other. It was interesting to finally feel the warmth of Solar, the rush of Arc, and the eerieness of the Void all at once. Her Guardian felt just a little bit more whole than before, compared to recent years. Once that was done, she appeared in the physical plane, “Alright, I just balanced the three sparks of Light inside you and the Void is tame, for now. Speaking of, how did you get it? I thought you never wanted it.”

“You’re correct. I didn’t but it was the reason I escaped. It pushed me forward, and the Huragok guided me to an escape pod and sent me spiraling down to Reach.” Sebastian got a far-off look into his eyes, “As for the copy of my arm, I’m not mad at you for keeping it. You were looking out for me, and I appreciate it, but I’ve gotten used to having a robot arm, it makes for a great party gag.” Sebastian chuckled but Dove rolled her eye. “However, I would like an arm back, please.”

Dove searched through her files and found three files with his robot arm. Dove selected one and transmatted it in his open hand. With some fumbling, he lined his other arm up with the dock of the robot arm. With a single nod to Dove, Sebastian put the arm up to his nub and he let out a tense breath. Soon after, he could move those fingers. A relieved sigh left Sebastian’s mouth.

“To answer your other questions, I was on their ship, and I fell into a coma or a drug-induced sleep, or it might have been the Huragok,” he looks at Dove, “One moment, let me finish. I was out and I was dreaming and I felt like someone was there with me in my mind. It wasn’t you, but it felt like you. I had deduced it down to the Traveler, and that’s because I saw the _ Long Night of Solace _ explosion again. I watched Jorge be evaporated like nothing. I had guessed it wanted me to suffer from my guilt but that was when I saw it-the shard-it just seemed to have… _ appeared _. I watched as it spun out of the wreckage,” Sebastian took a big breath. He still doesn’t really believe it, but it happened. “Then it shot me with a beam and then all of a sudden, I had the Void.”

“Okay, that explains that but how do you explain my metadata? Your ribs and body were healed multiple times, obviously not by me. So, what healed you? Was it these Huragok?” Dove questioned after he was done speaking. Sebastian laid back on the bed.

Another sigh, filled with tension, escaped the Hunter, “After they beat me senseless, multiple times, my ribs caved under pressure. There were five Sangheili, all of them female, who just beat on me for hours. They wanted to know where you were. I refused to tell them. One of them almost went to the extreme of cutting my other arm off. The smell of my burning flesh still lingers in my mind and I’m pretty sure that my blood coated the entire wall at one point.” He looked to Dove, who was watching with serious intent. “I want to believe that I’ll be fine, but I’m expecting nightmares, possibly daymares if it gets bad.”

Dove had to push him, “You flinched when Faye grabbed your hand, want to explain that?”

“Isn’t it a good thing I flinched when she touched me? If I didn’t, I would be concerned. I mean, I’m not complaining about it with her actions, but with how I was handled, you can let that one slide. It’s just something I hope fades away with time. It seems I can’t catch a break with trauma. You think that trauma and I would be best buds?” Sebastian joked.

“Sebastian…” Dove warned. “Tell me more about these Huragok. You go on tangents too much.”

“At least you can keep track of them,” Sebastian said as Dove glared at him. “Right. The Huragok were these creatures that had a dark blue neon-like shell with jagged edges, and tentacles that glowed a fluorescent blue-violet. They chirped and warbled a lot and they also float. One even cuddled with me, and it provided me with a small level of comfort, which surprised me more than anything,” Dove gave him a look to continue and he did. “When the Sangheili broke my ribs, the Huragok prodded my chest and I _ felt _ my ribs regrow beneath my skin. It felt odd, but it wasn’t painful, I was actually terrified of what was happening. When they healed me, I would always get tired afterward. My first, and only guess, was that they kickstarted my healing process and in doing so made me go to sleep since it made my body work overtime.”

Dove bristled over the information she just received, “ So you felt it when they healed you, they float, they do these sounds,” Dove then chirped and warbled, “and they cuddle, out of all things. Mind if I bounce a theory or two of my own off you?” Sebastian nodded, “What if these Huragok were first-generation Ghosts? Or a version of them at least?”

Sebastian’s jaw would have hit the floor for the amount of speculation thrown into that sentence. Much to Dove’s surprise, he nodded. “I had my own theory on that, but I scraped it. It just felt too _ easy _ to piece it together, and in my mind, if a puzzle is too easy for a Hunter, then we’re most likely wrong and we hand it off to the Warlocks. However, I won’t deny that one did ‘snuggle’ with me, similar to what you do, and I got a familiar sense of warmth. I didn’t want to believe it, but I was too busy trying to escape a Sangheili Commander’s flagship to worry about the Huragok.”

“Given the obvious similarities, it brings me to my second theory: The Traveler has been in this universe before, meaning it can jump from universe to universe. Those Huragok were the Traveler’s first attempt at making Ghosts.”

“Elaborate,” Sebastian demanded.

Dove deadpanned him, “Think about all the similarities you just listed, and compared it to me, as I did. Surely you can connect the dots. The Traveler has been busy.”

Sebastian laid back for a moment before his eyes bulged, “Where’s the shard?”

“We passed it on our way here, but if you want my estimate, about fifteen kilometers south from here. Let me guess, you want to see it?” Dove inquired to her ever-faithful Guardian. She settled right on his chest and felt it rise and fall. “I know you do, but I want you to stay and rest so I can watch over you.” She vibrated on his chest, “I’m not ready to be separated again.”

Sebastian’s hand came over her and his fingers stroked her shell, “I refuse to be separated from you again, little bird. We should go see the rest of the team, I think they have a plan.”

“Are you going to want to go now?” Dove asked.

“Mmm no,” Sebastian whispered as his breathing became much more relaxed, and for the first time since this whole ordeal started, he was as content as he can be. He didn’t realize his eyes had shut until sleep had laid claimed to him.

* * *

Faye had made it back to her room without too much difficulty. She wanted to get back into her armor as soon as possible to hide her flushing face. That kiss was something she never thought she would do in her life. Everything felt so right when she kissed him. It felt _ liberating _. Liberating that she could finally express something she thought she would never have the chance to experience. War was all she knew, and that was until she met Sebastian. The wrench. An unwelcome wrench at first, but once she found out that he was actually caring, and dare she say charismatic.

Once she entered her room again, a smirking Kat greeted her, “So, what did you do?”

“Uhm, nothing,” Faye averted her eyes and sat down on her bed, putting her crutch beside her, not really needing it, but it was something to stabilize her if she fell.

“Uh huh,” Kat said in unveiled disbelief, giving Faye a look that meant ‘spill’.

Knowing she can’t really hide it from her, Faye relented, her voice a tiny whisper, “I kissed him.”

Kat’s face turned into shock at her sister before smiling wide, “Oh? And?”

Faye recoiled, “What? I just told you!”

“Details little sister, details,” Kat said, much more interested in this conversation than whatever she was doing before. “You can’t just say that and _ not _ tell me. I’ve been waiting for you to finally get some emotions and maybe much more.” It is no secret that even as Spartans, they have ways to get what they want.

Faye has never indulged in this type of thing before. _ Pleasure. _ Every Spartan, the ones who made it out of basic, needed some sort of release. Sometimes, the stress of war isn’t actual stress, just sexual frustrations, and those made for _ wonderful _ moments. Kat got lost in her own thoughts as Faye spoke, “Well, it went about as well as I expected. I think I put him in a sense of shock, but I will tell you this in confidence, I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”

Kat laughed boisterously, “Good, I’m glad. You’ll learn to savor those moments, and if you’re lucky, you can sneak them in when a perfect time arises.”

Faye gave her a look, “It sounds like you have experiences that I’m unaware of, care to enlighten me?” Faye could have watched over and over again to see Kat’s face go from tan to a deep crimson. “Oh, have I gotten the brainiac to blush, you deviant.”

“This isn’t about me, this is about you,” Kat tried to steer the conversation back to her, but Faye wasn’t having it.

“I’m still processing, and he probably is too. His message, he told me about his past and his harbored feelings for me,” Faye dropped another bombshell on the Slavic Spartan.

“Were you right?” Kat immediately asked, thankfully not asking for the finer details.

“It wasn’t pretty, but he does in fact, have a robot arm. Which he didn’t have come the crash, so he managed to escape with only one arm?” As Faye was speaking she got more confused. “Hmm, I’ll have to ask him that directly.”

“Other than that, we have an opportunity to counter-attack. When you get the all-clear to come back, which should be soon, I’m going to need you to take down Covenant Jammers located in three buildings, once those are out, we can move on,” the conversation went from casual to formal so fast and if Faye wasn’t a Spartan, there would certainly be whiplash.

“Well then, when do we start?”

* * *

Sebastian felt calm and rested once he opened his eyes again. For a moment, he thought he was back in his own world, but once he saw the walls, he snapped out of it. Dove still rested on his chest, her optic blinking rapidly, meaning she was being a light sleeper. Sebastian didn’t know how long he was out, but at least this time he wouldn’t be getting a beating for waking up.

A low groan from him woke Dove, “Hey Seb, how do you feel?”

“Sorta tired and sorta well-rested,” he answered, his voice thick with sleep.

“Well, I mean you slept for eight hours, twenty-four minutes and thirty-seven seconds. You normally get 45% less than that. Any more sleep and I would have called the medical team,” Dove may have been joking, but she was extremely worried about him. He slept with no nightmares, but Dove knew they would appear, just when he _ thinks _ he’s at peace. She doesn’t want her Guardian to suffer any more than he already has.

“Hmm, is this what being a normal Guardian feels like?” Sebastian joked, as he usually does. Sebastian rubbed his eyes and looked to see his helmet looking back at him. With a sigh, he reached over and grabbed it, and underneath it, a piece of paper, yes paper, was left sitting there. Sebastian reached for the paper and opened it. All that was on the paper was _ Thank you _ , written in beautiful calligraphy. At the bottom of the note, it was signed _ F _ . _ Did she come in? Did Dove know? _“Dove, did someone come in here while I was out?”

Dove froze, but soon chirped, “Mayyybeee.”

Sebastian didn’t question her further on that particular topic. His smile was genuine, and it actually reached his eyes. While his other smiles _ were _ genuine, they didn’t have that same spark as this one did, Dove noticed. _ Oh, he is smitten with her. _ However, he was getting quite bored sitting now. He’s done more laying down and sitting than he has done in the past seven years, or at least, it feels like it. Considering his circumstances, one couldn’t blame him. So, with newfound determination, he stood up and felt all of his joints crack and readjust to moving. He slipped the note into one of the slots on his armor, knowing it’ll be safe. Sebastian rolled his shoulders, feeling them pop and loosen up, even his robotic arm felt relaxed. He slid his helmet on and with some armor checking and other miscellaneous things done, Sebastian finally left the room he’s been in, and immediately, everyone was scrambling.

A soldier came up to him, “Good, you’re up, Noble Leader wants you in the Command room. Says it is imperative that you are present.”

Sebastian nodded under his helmet, “Lead the way, the only thing I remember was passing out, so I didn’t get the grand tour.” Sebastian gestured to the soldier that was in front of him.

They chuckled nervously, “Of course, right this way.” They began to lead him through more twists and turns and for a second his vision flashed to the Supercarrier. He dismissed the thought and continued moving with the soldier. Dove, meanwhile, noticed the seismic increase in his brainwave activity. The Ghost would be keeping a close eye on him and when he was alone again, she would ask. She knows that PTSD can and will come around, but not _ this _ quick. Then again, there were some minor details that she doesn’t have, and that’s alright. Most of the time, people don’t immediately like recalling their trauma as it makes them feel worse than they already are, and Dove doesn’t want that for him. Right now, his happiness is her priority, and that happiness just so happens to be a certain Spartan who was lip-locked with him just short of ten hours ago.

Dove continued to monitor Sebastian as she thought about herself, not selfishly either. Since the shard came in, she hasn’t felt as alone as before. While having the Traveler is amazing, she missed interacting with her siblings. Maybe one day, there will be another Ghost, but for now, she’s alone.

The Traveler must have sensed her concerning feelings, as did Sebastian because she felt two different sources of warmth. _ At least I have him still. _ She never wants to go through that again. It just brought on so much pain.

Sebastian kept an eye on Dove whilst also paying attention to the path that the Soldier laid out, “Just take your second right and the door should be at the end of the hall, take care, and give them hell.” The soldier left but quickly rephrased, “The Covenant, not the Spartans.”

Sebastian let out a chuckle that sounded like a huff, but his shoulders slightly shaking meant he was withholding a laugh that threatened to come out. He would have to tell them that when he got inside, if the mood called for it. Once he turned right, the door was already opened, and he could see Noble Team crowded around a holo table. Well, that’s something he hasn’t seen in a hot century. The Golden Age bypassed most of this technology. To be somewhat formal, his hand knocked on the door, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. “Did you miss me?”

Emile chuckled while Jun chuckled a little bit louder. Kat took a glance at him and then did a double-take at his exposed arm. Normally he would have covered it, but considering they have probably seen him without it, it didn’t matter at this point. “Well, Six, you weren’t kidding.”

At the mention of Faye’s alias, he turned to see her leaning on a support pillar, but she wasn’t looking at him. Her helmet was on, as was her armor, of course. Turning back to Carter, “So, anything did big happen while I slept for an _ actual _ normal amount of time?”

Carter spared a glance at Sebastian, “Besides the massive Covenant fleet holding their spot in high orbit, nothing major,” he turned to face him, “Which gives us the perfect time to ask what happened to you after the explosion.”

Sebastian tensed, he wasn’t ready to talk about it again. He only told Dove because she’s with him almost 24/7. “I knew I shouldn’t have come in here, and you damn well know that I’m not too keen to talk about it. If you must know then you’ll be happy to hear they were interested in only me. There wasn’t one mention of you or any of you for that matter.” Sebastian could feel his emotions rise and the Void responded in kind. His arm glowed a light purple, almost accenting his entire arm. Sebastian shook his head. His left arm then had a glowing blade protrude from under his wrist. “Well, that’s actually new,” he said inspecting it in awe. “I sorta feel like those Golden Age video games with this.”

“When did you get that?” Much to Sebastian’s surprise, it was Emile who asked.

Almost in a dream-like state, “When the Traveler visited me in my dreams, without the Void, I wouldn’t have escaped. I would have died there, and I would have accepted it.” Snapping out of his trance, “Speaking of, I need to go see the shard that impacted Reach.”

Sebastian saw all of them glance at each other, already reading their body language, “If you don’t let me go, then I’m leaving the base, and don’t doubt me either.”

“Why must you go to it?” Jun asked.

“I have questions that I need answers to, and this might be my only chance. From what I heard, and what I saw, it survived two small glassing beams,” Sebastian reasoned.

Dove’s disembodied voice projected through Sebastian, _ “Add on to the fact that no one had managed to get through it until Noble Six brought me there, says something. It is not advisable to keep my Guardian here. If you haven’t already noticed, he’s sat around enough.” _

“That’s quite enough, Dove. You’ve made your point,” Sebastian said taking over. “I could either find a way back home or find out how to pull some people from my world. Sure, you might think of that notion as selfish, but if you want to think about it, I don’t _ belong _ here, in this universe.”

No one objected to his claim, but Faye almost said something, _should’ve _said something, but she didn’t. Sebastian felt just a pang of hurt that she didn’t speak up, but he stuffed the feeling away because he knew she didn’t project her emotions normally. The silence was tense, and when he deemed it enough, he turned and left, without another word. Sebastian had Dove get his weapons, which thankfully, were not lost. It was a comforting feeling to hold his weapons again. He never thought cold metal would be this comforting, and he won’t take them for granted ever again.

He can already feel himself cutting them off, and while he should just leave them, he can’t. What he wanted to say was _ Even if I left, I wouldn’t be whole. _ That’s true, she’s stolen his heart and he doesn’t want it back. He was almost back at where his room was until a hand grasped his wrist. “Where are you going?”

He turned to see her visor staring back into his, “Where does it look like I’m going?”

“You’re going somewhere, without us, without _ me _,” she emphasized.

“Well, you didn’t say anything in there when I said I didn’t belong, so yes, I was going somewhere, without you, as you are needed here,” he said with much more annoyance than he wanted.

Faye didn’t like that, so she looked around, making sure no one else was around and pushed him into the room before shutting the door.

Sebastian recovered quickly, “What the hell? Do you honestly think you’ll keep me here?”

“I’m trying to make you see reason before you get yourself killed, and if you can’t see that, then I will make you stay here. You can’t run off again. It was bad enough the first time,” her voice started loud and went down to a mere whisper.

Sebastian sighed, “I need to see that shard because if it comes down to it, I’ll defend it first. There are multiple different species in my world that would rather see it destroyed, and if anyone tries to harvest it for their own purposes, then I will lash out. The UNSC _ will _ try to harvest the Traveler’s energy and your ONI will also attempt it, and that will _ not _ fly with me. I have an innate part of me that needs to see the Traveler alive because, without it, I wouldn’t be standing before you. I wouldn’t have been able to tell you how far I’ve fallen.”

Faye couldn’t deny his claim about ONI. If it is something that can benefit them, they will use any means necessary to achieve it. At his last words, she raised her eyebrows, “Fallen?”

Sebastian stepped closer to her, his helmet clinked against hers, “How I’ve fallen for you.” He slacked slightly against her and the pain in his heart lifted slightly. He wasn’t going to say those words right away, not now. It wasn’t the right time, but if he said them now, what could happen? The potential repercussions were deemed too great for him. _ But isn’t that the point of relationships? To be with the other person through it all? _

“You don’t know how far I’ve fallen as well,” she replied. One arm wrapped around his waist while the other was against the door for stability.

Sebastian let out a breathy laugh, “So, it got you too?” The ‘it’ being their respective feelings; Dove would call it a ‘lovebug’. Sebastian wrapped an arm around her waist, and even through the armor, it was getting warm in the room. The temperature started to feel like Mercury’s surface, and Sebastian relished in it. _ So this must be the tension _, Sebastian thought obviously. “What are you doing to me?” he asked himself but Faye heard him.

“The better question is what are _ you _ doing to _ me _ ?” She whispered back, breathless. The need to just _ feel _ him was high and Faye didn’t know what to do.

Sebastian didn’t care and with one hand, he gently lifted her helmet off, and she did the same to him. Sebastian made sure that she had the ‘permissions’ to take his helmet off, just so the moment didn’t end. Their helmets dropped and clinked against the floor, hopefully, no damage comes to them. For a moment, nothing else mattered. Sebastian had Faye and Faye had Sebastian. They weren’t just Guardian and Spartan; no. At the moment, they were a man and a woman who have fallen in love with each other but haven’t admitted it, at least not verbally. Their body language has done that for them.

Sebastian stroked her cheek while gazing into her murky brown eyes that he would no doubt drown in one day. Faye cupped his cheek and stared into those defiant cobalt irises. “May I?” Sebastian asked, his voice hoarse with pent up desire. _ Lust is a powerful thing, but I know this is more than lust. _

“May you what?” Faye asked, genuinely curious at what he was asking. _ She’s a little oblivious, but maybe this will help. _ Sebastian leaned in and claimed her lips with his and Sebastian thought an adrenaline rush was great, but that takes a back seat compared to this. That fuzzy feeling he got in his head, his chest, his _ other _ head. He never felt more complete.

Faye’s eyes widened slightly, but she eventually closed her eyes and accepted it and she let him lead the kiss. He was going slow, almost agonizingly slow, but it was blissful torture. She finally gets to feel _ something _ and it was most definitely better than nothing. Sebastian was so happy that he could have cried, but he held his tears back. On the other hand, he had to restrain himself from laughing because Dove was preaching that her ‘ship had set sail’.

The only unfortunate part about the kiss was that they had to breathe at some point. Sebastian pulled back first, his eyes darting everywhere around her face, his inner self wondering if he pushed just a _ bit _ too far. Faye, however, smiled and gave him a quick peck in response, “You don’t know how long I’ve been without any affection like this. The closest thing to this was on the battlefield,” Faye felt light-headed, from the kiss, and just clutched to Sebastian to maintain her equilibrium.

“Well… if an opportunity ever arose, I _ could _ show you. However, I will respect your decision either way,” He said, relieved that she didn’t flip out on him. He realized that he was holding her as close as possible and he was thankful that he wasn’t flush against her. She would most certainly feel that.

Faye leaned off the door and she felt _ that _ she couldn’t stop her eyes from widening. Faye’s thoughts ran rampant for a few seconds before Sebastian cleared his throat, leaning down and picking up their helmets. He handed Faye hers and he slipped his helmet on to hide his extremely flushed cheeks. “I’m still going to the shard, you are welcome to come with me, but do not expect me to bail you out if we caught.”

Faye looked up from her helmet to see his helmet back on and that serious tone. It didn’t help that she shivered slightly from his tone. _ Has it always been like that? _“Who said anything about being caught? We have about another eight hours before our counter attack on New Alexandria.”

With that being said, the two snuck out of the base with relative ease. That and Dove was extremely helpful in the process. She was constantly ‘fangirling’ over them. She wanted to know how it made him feel. Dove already knew to the answer to that, if it wasn’t already obvious.

* * *

Once outside the base, both of them were left to their own thoughts. Sebastian’s were half on the Traveler and Dove, while the other half were on the woman next to him. Getting one kiss from her was awesome, but _ two? _ On the same day? That’s just nuts. Sebastian wore a grin under the helmet but kept his guard up. For all he knows, the Sangheili could be watching him, and they most likely are.

Faye was completely lost in her thoughts, her footsteps in line with his. No one knew that they left the base, and they would soon find out, but this shouldn’t take long. They needed to see the shard, but that means they would have to be in and out. They couldn’t linger. Sebastian’s voice took her out of her thoughts, “Dove, how close?”

_ “Approximately two kilometers, Guardian,” _ Dove’s voice whispered between the two of them. Two kilometers? Faye must have really blanked out if they’ve walked that far, the good thing was she did have her weapons, just in case someone ambushed them. Sebastian was constantly surveying the area, and once they marched over a hill, he saw it and he did not like the site.

Covenant have swarmed over the site, and it looked like most if not all, UNSC personnel were dead. “Well, this just complicated,” Faye observed. “I had expected the UNSC to be here. We didn’t hear any distress calls.”

“They probably jammed their comms and came in swiftly,” Sebastian’s voice was no longer gentle. It was filled with malice. Faye didn’t understand why right away. She followed his line of sight, as best she could, and she saw a high ranking Elite. Sebastian was gritting his teeth as he _ knew _ who it was. _ Why the hell is he here? _ Sebastian’s Light wanted to burst out of his body and kill every last one of them for what they did. Not only to himself but to those who did nothing to them.

Thel ‘Vadamee stood there at the edge of the crater with Zesa and Boxa. Khaso, Roea, and Shoya were surveying the area that the shard lay. His Honor Guards were also with him, also keeping watch to make sure their Supreme Commander was secure.

Faye laid a hand on his shoulder, “They are the ones responsible aren’t they?” She didn’t need to elaborate to know he was vibrating in anger. He was starting to feel warm again, and not that kind of warm. This was a wave of boiling anger, and every bit of him wanted to go down there and slaughter and _ savor _ the kills. The only thing keeping him there was Faye. “You need to _ sneak _ in there, not rush in there, understand? I will back you up, but do not get captured.”

Sebastian growled, “They won’t get me twice. They only got me because of severe injury.” His voice calmed down, but his body was still tense, “It just angers me that they are attempting to get to the Traveler. Faye, if something goes wrong, call for backup. Do what you have to and I will too.” He could already sense her rebuttal, and it’s ironic, at least to him. He was in her shoes at one point and it seems to have come full circle, “Notice I’m not asking you to run. You do what you have to, please?” His tone went soft for her, showing his vulnerability.

The female Spartan laid there next to him, surprised, but eventually responded with, “If they try anything, they have not only you to deal with, they have me as well.”

He leaned over to her and lightly clinked his helmet against hers. Sebastian could count it as a ‘kiss’ but it doesn’t feel official because he’s gotten the real thing.

Sebastian let his Light flow, with Dove’s silent assistance, and he went invisible. What Faye couldn’t see was his blue eyes flashing under the helmet.

The Hunter made it to the outside edge of the Covenant perimeter, where only a few Grunts were stationed. The Covenant obviously didn’t expect that he would come back here. _ This could also be a trap. _ Thel was smart and Sebastian knows not to underestimate him. Dove took a scan of the area and found over five full squads one shy of a full platoon of soldiers. There didn’t seem to be any Covenant Hunters in the mix though.

Sebastian continued to stealthily sneak past them. What he didn’t expect was a Huragok floating close by. Dove was easily fascinated by their design. She could also see and _ feel _ the technology within them. _ They are similar, and I guess that confirms it, the Traveler has been in this universe before. _ The Huragok chirped inquisitively as it attempted to reach out to find this unfamiliar technology. Dove quickly put up her advanced firewalls. She wasn’t going to having that, not one bit.

While it was distracted, Sebastian concentrated on staying invisible, because being invisible for a long period of time shouldn’t be possible, but Sebastian was making it work, somehow. Sebastian had made it to the middle of the area, just across from Vadamee. Sebastian uncloaked and held his hand up to the barrier. Thankfully, no one had spotted him yet, which was astounding considering he was across from his captors. The barrier parted for him and took his opportunity to step inside. The moment Sebastian, and Dove, stepped inside the shard began to glow, even Dove noticed the change from her dimension. The Traveler pushed a feeling of relief towards the two of them, and as a result, Sebastian’s shoulders sagged. “So it’s not a dream. For a moment, I really thought this was a figment of my imagination.”

A snarl was heard from behind him, in front of him, next to him. The sound reverberated around the barrier and pierced his ears, like a faint whisper-shout. He didn’t wince, but once he made eye contact with Thel, he sucked in a breath.

Thel was merely amused at the fact that he came. Whether or not he came because he was here, he didn’t know, nor did he care. **“So, we meet again, ‘Seb.’”**

Funnily enough, he heard the words clearly. “Commander,” he replied respectfully. 

Dove made the executive decision to appear and Thel’s eyes centered on Dove, **“So this is your construct. A tiny, delicate thing, is it not?” **Thel began to pace, and the rest of the Covenant surrounded the barrier. Some remained on the outer edges of the area.

“She has a name, Thel. Can I call you Thel?” Sebastian genuinely asked. All he got back was a snarl. “Okay, guess not. You’re here because?”

**“You intrigue me, and when we saw you puny humans crowding around this place, I decided that it was deemed important to you. I’m glad to have found out I was right,” **Thel said staring right at his eyes, acting like the helmet wasn’t even there.

That was when Sebastian noticed that all the females were around Thel, and even though they couldn’t get to him, he flinched and stepped back towards the shard. He chose to ignore the laughing from the Elites. Dove immediately rested against his chest, sending comfort to him. Sebastian let out a small sigh of relief before circling the shard and slowly reached his hand out.

Faye was watching through the scope of her DMR and she wanted to go down there and help. What she did do, however, was giving a signal back to the UNSC base, the old fashioned way. Before she left, she wrote a note. A note saying where their coordinates are and if they aren’t back within two hours, they’ve run into trouble. No doubt that the rest of the team is furious that they left. She saw him flinch backward and that made her blood boil. She flicked her zoom over to the Elites and noticed the similarly colored armor. _ These were the females, I bet. _ Faye quickly put her DMR on her back and pulled out her knives. She needed to get him out of there.

With the utmost ease, she sliced through the Grunts and silenced the Jackal skirmishers before they noticed. She did, however, leave the Huragok alive, as it actually didn’t see her as hostile. It actually seemed _ glad _ to see her, even though it was close to pitch black. Hopefully, the Elites would be too focused on Sebastian and not her. Faye continued to sneak around, making sure to count the Elites, because she knew one of them was a Stealth Elite, and if she lost track of her, it could end up being a bad time. Every chance she could, she took a count. While she was taking a count, her blood ran ice cold. _ One of them was missing. _

Her grip on her knives tightened. She didn’t like this, and her head was now a swivel. She constantly checked behind her, in front of her, to the left and right of her, even above her. _ Where are they? _

A faint shimmer caught her eye, it was moving. _ Shit. _ Faye continued to look around and she dodged out of instinct, and it was a good thing she did. An Energy Sword was lodged where Faye just was seconds prior. The shimmer became the Stealth Elite. Her grips on her knives loosened enough to still hold them firm, but it would allow her to do some knife tricks. The Sangheili rushed and Faye countered with a slide slash. The attack scraped off the armor, and Faye remained unharmed.

If they didn’t know she was here before, then they definitely know she’s here now. The Sangheili took advantage of her small lapse in attention and attempted to slash. All it did was graze her armor and just _ barely _ knick her shoulder. _ I’m getting rusty. _ Faye had already gathered that this one was more of a blades person, preferred her left side, compared to the right. Faye was also keeping track of other potential combatants. What she didn’t expect was her assailant to lunge at her and knock the Spartan back. With the tumble, Faye recovered into a roll. When she stood up, she was almost immediately shot in the shoulder with a needle. _ Sniper _. It threw her off balance just enough for the first Sangheili to send her across the area, landing just mere feet from the shield.

She expected the hit, but she didn’t expect the wind to get knocked out of her. Her hand went to her abdomen and it felt sticky. _Oh no._ Then, she felt it. A glowing blue blade under her throat. If she moved, that would be a nasty scar, or quite possibly a beheading. **“So you are with him? We thought he came alone.” **_I knew there was another one._ A hand wrenched her arm behind her back, while another hand wrapped around her throat. Faye made her armor lock her arm, so they couldn’t snap it out of its socket. Her free hand, coated in her blood, latched onto the Sangheili’s wrist. **“Luckily for you, Demon, the Commander wants to see anyone we capture. A shame really, Boxa and I would have some fun with you first,” **the Elite snarled. Faye didn’t know whether to be intrigued or concerned, but she had other _urgent _matters to attend to.

The grip on her throat tightened and at that point, she was gasping for breath, her blood was beginning to coat the front of her armor and the ground. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her gripped slacked. She was at their mercy, and hopefully, that backup arrives sooner rather than later. Her last thought before going under was about him and hoping he wouldn’t do anything stupid.

Sebastian snapped out of whatever trance he was in and when he saw Faye bloody, and at their mercy. It was like someone flicked a switch inside him, and then everything became much brighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real Talk: I actually had a lot of trouble naming the chapter. I name them because I want my stories to have a small uniqueness to them.
> 
> Naming them means I've finished the plot point I wanted to cover and I can progress to the next one. They normally just mean a small summarization of what is going to happen. Think of it as a thumbnail on a YouTube video or something.
> 
> I also didn't want to leave out Characters, as I have a small tendency to do that. I introduce them, get their plot out of the way and then _never_ use them again. This time is different.
> 
> PS: Sorry for the later update. I started playing Assassin's Creed Odyessy, I got addicted. That and Division 2 (it was only $3, so why tf not amirite?)
> 
> Hope you all enjoy! Try not to hate me too much!


	20. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 20 Baby! This is a lot longer than I thought it would be. I originally thought this would be like ten to fifteen chapters. I'm glad I was wrong.
> 
> Thank you all for the Kudos!

Once the Guardian’s hand touched the shard, he was brought to a place where nothing, but everything existed. Sebastian opened his eyes to see _ someone _ in front of him, a silhouette. Due to the light projected from the figure, Sebastian covered his eyes, and he found that he looked ethereal, almost transparent. He searched for Dove and felt nothing. _ Where am I? _

Something didn’t sit right with him and he wanted to know why. If he touched the shard, then what happened? His pulse accelerated when the figure stepped closer but soon found out that they were radiating the epitome of calm. He lowered his hand once his eye adjusted properly.

The figure spoke, almost like an echo, its voice neither male nor female, _ ‘Guardian. You have arrived. As for where we are, I cannot answer that.’ _

Sebastian recoiled, “What?!” _ Can they hear my thoughts? _

_ ‘We can, amongst other things.’ _ they replied directly in his mind, the slight echo made him clutch his head. _ ‘Do you know why you are here?’ _

“Because I touched the shard,” Sebastian replied confused. _ I mean, how else did I get here? Surely, this isn’t a trap, because, I would be dead otherwise. _

_ ‘That is not what we mean; do you know why you are here?’ _They spoke in a gentle tone, almost like they were speaking to Sebastian as if he was a child and they were the adult trying to get him to pay attention to the lesson.

The figure stepped closer to him, _ wait, wasn’t it farther back? _ Sebastian wanted to step back but his body remained rooted in place. He had no visible restraints on him, so why couldn’t he move? The figure’s hand reached out and slowly clasped his shoulder, _ ‘Guardian Sebastian Rutherford, do you know why we brought you here?’ _ the question repeated.

Sebastian’s mind slowly turned its gears before he understood what ‘here’ meant, “Here as in… _ this _ universe?”

The figure lightly squeezed his shoulder in confirmation, _ ‘Correct.’ _

The Hunter often wondered why he was here in all honesty, but never pursued it. He just went with the flow and that’s how he’s operated. Sebastian glanced at the figure who awfully looked like the “Speaker?” The figure was taller than the Speaker, but the face mask was a dead giveaway.

A hint of amusement seeped into the figure’s words, _ ‘Yes and no, Guardian.’ _

Sebastian’s eyes widened under his helmet, “Traveler?!” He was speaking with the Traveler, _ well of course dummy, you touched the shard of the Traveler. _ Snapping out of his thoughts, he regarded the figure, now that they, _ er it, _ was much closer. The hooded and robed figure had the Speaker’s mask, but between the slits, light poured out of it. “I-I never wondered why I was here.”

_ ‘You have, but you never put much more thought into it,’ _ the figure of the Traveler replied, probably having read his mind. Sebastian idly wondered why the Traveler chose to speak with him now, out of all times.

Sebastian continued to ponder why before he answered, “I originally thought it was because I went through a Vex portal and ended up here. Maybe I ended up in a Vex simulation. Dove never found out anything on it either. She had a theory, but it didn’t seem fully sound.” Should Sebastian know something else?

The figure-Traveler- took its hand off his shoulder and one finger touched his chest where his heart was. _ ‘Many have suffered, but you suffered the most in terms of… affection.’ _Sebastian barely contained his wince as he thought about that statement. 

Over the long course of his life, he has never sustained a long term relationship, not for a lack of trying nor them leaving him either. He knows that Guardians are prone to dying, as was he, but it didn’t stop him. His eyes shot up to the figure as the realization slapped him like a Fist of Havoc. _ Her theory was right. _ “You…”

_ ‘We did. Everyone deserves a chance, even if it means breaking some rules. We can feel your mind swirling about your Ghost’s other theories. Some of them were correct, others need adjustments.’ _

Sebastian’s jaw went slack as he gaped at the Traveler. It pulled him out of his world and put him here to... _ make me happy? To feel something? _ Any rational person should be mad and demand to be brought back to their own universe, and anyone pulled would have rather been upset in their own world than in a world where nothing is the same. However, Sebastian wasn’t an all-around rational person at times. He thought that the gesture was personal, and touching. He was _ thankful _. Most people wouldn’t see it that way. “W-What did this cost you? To bring me here, the shard, all of it? Most importantly, why?” Why help him? He would have lived his life to the fullest that he could until he died.

The Traveler lightly chuckled, _ ‘It was minuscule compared to the work on your world.’ _ The tone turned serious, _ ‘As for why… everyone else was content except for you. We know you have other questions, but you must go. A matter requires your attention.’ _Sebastian immediately snapped out of his stupor at the tone, but glad that he at least got one answer.

Sebastian gazed at the faceless mask of the Traveler and he saw that they stepped back but were holding out their hands. In them, there was a spark, almost like a dimmed out star. _ ‘One day, you will need this. You will know when to use it.’ _ Before he grabbed it, he felt a rush of power. _ ‘A ‘boost’ to help you. It will wear out as soon as you are safe.’ _

They pushed the ‘star’ to him, and he observed as it floated in the air, with a lot more grace that it shouldn’t have. More questions began to stir, but he didn’t have time to ask his questions. As the little spark landed in his hand, he felt its unfamiliar power before everything turned into a blinding light. Everything around Sebastian began to fade from sight as the Traveler was there in one second, Sebastian blinked, and they were gone. _ Now I’m just left with more questions than answers. _

Soon enough, there was just darkness as his mind went back to his body, but not in the way he thought it would.

* * *

Thel ‘Vadamee gazed at the unconscious Demon before him, to see her blood slowly leak out on the ground. The Sangheili rumbled in approval at the females for their job well done. He didn’t have to say any words to show that he was pleased. The body language was apparent to anyone around them. Thel had taken notice of this one because this particular Demon was the one that was around Sebastian all the time, at least according to Shoya’s reports. _ Was this one his mate? _ Thel’s jaw clicked with an idea. To get what he wants, he’ll use her. **<<Get her up and display her Execution style, if he does not give us what we are after… Kill her right in front of him.>>**

Zesa and Khaso nodded and with little to no effort, Faye’s unconscious body was picked up and then strung in the style as directed by their Commander. They would enjoy this. When they asked on how, Thel gave them free rein, which pleased them, Khaso more than Zesa. Faye’s body was placed on her knees, her head hung down, her arms bound above her head, with restraints meant for a Demon.

What distracted them was the pulsing from the shard. Its beat was high, almost ground shaking. Right now it was only a small vibration; that soon changed as the crater became a source of bright light that split the night sky. The barrier still held and the one in the middle was Sebastian.

Sebastian currently wasn’t himself. This ‘boost’ is something that will instinctually guide him to get himself and Faye safe, no matter the cost. From the outside, he physically didn’t look any different, but on the inside, he was filled to the brim with unstable Light. His eyes, under the helmet, were pure white and not a trace of blue remained. If anything, it probably looked like that those were his original eye color. The ground around him glowed as well as if he had this aura surrounding him. With Sangheili enhanced eyesight, they could see the faint wisps of this aura. Sebastian’s body slowed ascended from the crater of the Traveler and once he locked eyes on Faye, all sense of reason was out the door.

Thel gave the order to kill her now, foregoing his plan, because even the common man, or alien, could see there was no reasoning with him. Thel could feel the anger and protectiveness radiating from him. Khaso was more than willing to carry out her Commander’s orders as swiftly as possible. Right as she raised her physical blade, she was knocked back, by seemingly nothing. The same could be said for her sisters. Soon enough, they were all on the floor, with minor injuries, not dead.

Sebastian’s body had eyes on all of them in the immediate area. At first, they tried to gun him down, and while their plasma and needles did indeed find their mark, and they did hit him but did not damage him. It looked like he brushed them off, his eyes were focused on Faye, even if he wasn’t actually looking at her. His only priority was getting her out.

As for Dove, she was nowhere to be seen. She was told, off to the side, by the Traveler to not come out of her dimension. It would risk her very life if she came out now. All she could do was watch and it made her worried for her Guardian. _ Would he remember this? Or would it be a blackout in his memory? _ She just wanted to help him, so she took the liberty to record this, to show him once he asked about it. _ The Traveler never said to keep it a secret _. She had heard everything Sebastian did, except for one thing, so that had her somewhat occupied.

Sebastian’s body had pushed everything back and he stopped in front of Faye’s still bleeding body. Sebastian’s body lowered to one knee to inspect her, and the protectiveness in him intensified. His fists clenched, Sebastian’s body hated seeing her like this. _ He _hated to see her like this. She was the strong one out of the two and while he had more years of life on her, she had the most experience all things considered. One of the faint wisps of Light brushed over her wound and, like magic, closed it like it was never there, even repairing the undersuit. The only evidence that remained was the blood staining her armor. Within seconds, Sebastian’s body used the aura to cut through the restraints like a hot knife through butter. Faye was released and she unceremoniously fell into his arms. Now, her armor weighs a lot, and Dove knew exactly how much it weighed. He threw her arm around his shoulders, it sagged behind him, but he cared not. Sebastian’s body began carrying her like a small child, arm and hand under her back and arm and hand under her knees. His movements were fluid, with no visible strain on his muscles. He continued to walk back the way they entered, without a care in the world. All of this was happening while he was still under fire. The foolish ones that tried to rush him were thrown back by the invisible force that was Sebastian.

Thel had watched in absolute awe. Without a care in the world, he ignored everything but her. _ Curious. _ As soon as the shooting started, he was being escorted, with a high persistence from his Honor Guard. To be fair, they take the position deadly serious, a great quality to have. Sangheili are bound by honor. While he wanted to see what was going on, they ushered him back to his Phantom and departed to the _ Seeker of Truth _. They would meet another day.

Sebastian’s body walked with Faye in his arms all the way back to base. It was a silent trip, save for the crunch of Sebastian’s footsteps. He knew where he was going. Well, _ the Traveler _ knew where he was going. Dove recalled them saying it wouldn’t dissipate until they were safe and considering that he was still carrying her with ease, they weren’t going to be safe for quite a while.

* * *

Back at the base, everyone was scrambling to find out where they went and then their senors were going haywire. They thought the Covenant had found a new scrambler but one of the crewmen noticed it wasn’t their normal pattern. They have seen what the scrambler does, but it didn’t match it from previous times.

Once he brought it to the attention of Noble One, understanding seemed to have dawned on the Spartan. Carter then ordered the rest of Noble Tema to get prepped to head outside. “Be alert, and do not let your guard down. Considered both Six and Seven are absent, be on the lookout.”

Emile had to make the comment under his breath, “They probably snuck out so they could make Eight in peace.”

Kat smacked his shoulder with a little bit more force than necessary, but even she was grinning under her helmet. It wouldn’t surprise Kat if she was doing that, but they were missing. Kat was ultimately worried about the woman she calls her sister, not by blood, but blood doesn’t define family.

When they exited the base, all they saw was a glowing light, nothing else. An anomaly was what one would call it, but it moved methodically, with purpose. When the anomaly moved closer to Noble Team, their weapons were raised. The anomaly stopped, and within seconds, their weapons were on the ground and then it opened up to reveal Sebastian carrying Faye. Kat’s eyebrows shot up, as did the rest of Noble Team. They knew how much the armor weighed, so to see him carrying her with ease brought out some questions.

“Where have you been?” Carter’s voice was skeptical, as he should be.

Auntie Dot answered, _ “This is currently not G7. His consciousness is currently inside of his mind, under the first surface layer. His body is under the influence of an entity called ‘The Traveler’, and will remain until he is deemed safe.” _

Carter asked aloud, “Where have you gotten this information?” They picked up their weapons and put them in their respective holsters, which made Sebastian’s body ease just a tad, but was fully prepared to protect Faye’s body.

Dot’s answer was simple, _ “From Dove. She cannot come out to speak to you herself because if she did, then she would be putting herself at risk. Under directive from this ‘Traveler’, she is not permitted to appear, but she has been relaying me information to speak to you all. She wants you all to look at his eyes.” _

Emile was going to point out the obvious but quickly noticed the gleam from the _ inside _ of his helmet. A low whistle escaped the knife expert, “She’s right. His eyes are noticeable.”

Kat saw the same thing and came into the conversation, “What happened?” There was a huge chunk of time that was unaccounted for. Jun was being the silent observer, electing not to speak until more facts are brought to light.

_ “Dove will be willing to answer when this passes, which she calculates will be as soon as he can put Noble Six down to rest. She had suffered a stab wound on her midsection with markings on her throat.” _ A few seconds passed, _ “Strange, I am not detecting any visible stab wounds on her, they seemed to have been healed. According to Dove’s in-action report, a ‘tendril of Light’, emphasized with a capital, was used to close her wound and repaired her undersuit. Normally, it would have required a technician to repair.” _

“Is there anything else on this ‘Traveler’?” Carter spoke, directing the attention on him.

_ “Not at this time. Dove is protective of this particular query. What she told us is the extent she will say for now. No doubt her ‘Guardian’ will be protective of it as well,” _Dot’s voice was factual, meaning that it won’t be easy to ask, but answers are needed since questions have been raised.

During this time, Sebastian was slowly breaking through his mind. He couldn’t see nor feel the outside world. The only thing he could feel was Faye, the woman he loves. _ I do love her, but those words mean much more. More than I could ever show. _ He tried reaching out to Dove, but whatever this boost was, it was blocking his connection to her. Sebastian kept his eyes open, looking for any visible cracks in this invisible barrier. The fact that he was still here meant wherever he was wasn’t safe.

His body deemed where he was unsafe and hid in the shroud that it arrived in. Noble Team looked on in surprise as he passed them and then _ phased _ through a wall. Jun finally spoke, “I’ve seen some things in my time, but if I die, that will probably be on the forefront of my mind.”

Noble Team quickly re-entered the base as they attempted to find him. They searched for the signal that it gave off. The only way they could figure out where he was because if their comms become scrambled, then they are closer. Even the cameras on the premises were fluctuating when nothing was showing up.

Sebastian’s body went to her quarters almost instantly and set her down before the wisps of Light took off her armor with the utmost ease. Sebastian’s body or its eyes lingered on her form and her face. Its hand reached out and stroked her cheek before his body spoke. It spoke with an echo, but it wasn’t the Void’s echo, where it felt dark and sinister at times. It was calm, peaceful, _ When he wakes, please fill him in on what happened, and tell him we apologize for taking control, Ghost Dove. _

_ They spoke to me?! _ Dove was appalled, _ what is the Traveler doing? _ She knows he’s not in control, but Dove looked on in earnest. She watched on as each piece of her armor was engulfed in Light for only a second and then came out brand new and upgraded. The armor finish was actually the same but the physical armor was changed. She noticed that once each piece was done, it was assembled back together on an armor stand close by. Then, Sebastian’s body positioned itself in a chair across from her and without warning, slacked.

Dove was alarmed and phased into reality to notice the Light from his eyes, the boost, was gone, but that didn’t relieve her just yet. She took multiple scans of him, checking his vitals, brain activity, and everything in between. She wanted to make sure that she had her Sebastian back. Then, she checked Faye’s armor and noticed it was just upgraded versions, even noticing lingering traces of their world’s technology, making it the most advanced suit of _ all _ the Spartans, just by that sheer fact. Dove continued to scour over her armor, looking for any other minor or unseen upgrades. She would either be happy or upset.

A loud groan from behind the Ghost snapped her to attention. She turned her shell around to see Sebastian clutching his head, leaning backward, “Why does my mind feel like someone put it in a blender, fed it to a dog, threw it up, and ate it again?”

“That’s oddly specific, Guardian. Do you know what happened?” Dove was asking standard questions to see if he could recount what happened.

“I remember… touching the shard but after that… wait, where are we?!” he was alert now. He stood up, and almost immediately sat back down clutching his head again. “Ow, okay, no standing for a few.”

“We are back at the base. We, and by we I mean you, saw Noble team. You were carrying her with ease. Do you not remember that? You walked fifteen kilometers with her in your arms like she weighed nothing. To add on to that, you _ phased _ through a wall,” Dove said, getting slowly closer to him.

Sebastian wasn’t stupid, she was afraid of him, but why? “Have you done your scans?”

Dove warbled, she didn’t think she was that obvious, “I did.”

“And?”

“You’ve returned to normal, and they apologize for taking over, at least, that’s what they wanted me to say to you,” Dove inched even closer, within arm’s reach. “Do you remember what you talked about?”

Sebastian thought about it and it felt like a recent memory, something he just _ knew _ without having known it before. It was equivalent to just getting the answer after making a bunch of random thoughts that somehow got to the correct answer. “We talked about why I’m here, and how. What the Traveler did for me, and what it cost. Most would think I would be mad that they moved me from my universe to a different one.” Sebastian seemed to finally notice Faye laying on her bed. His eyes flared in his Light. “But I can’t be mad with the outcome, especially not after the moments we shared.” 

Dove was intrigued. _ Is this some side effect of the boost? _ Dove took another scan while Sebastian watched Faye for any movement she might make. He was staring intently at her face, how he looked only at her face, and not her entire body. His fingers twitched like he remembered something. “What was it like inside your mind?”

Sebastian’s gaze never faltered, “Blank. It was just like I was surrounded by an invisible cage. I looked for cracks to see if I could break out because being separated from my body is something I never to experience again. I felt empty.”

Dove’s Light readings came back as he has some excess Light still lingering in his system from the boost. Maybe he needs to burn it off, after all, it was unstable Light, similar to Mayhem. _ He should be down for the count. _ “I heard most of what was said except for one thing. What was that spark that the Traveler handed you?” For Dove, her vision faded out and then faded back in once the Traveler was gone. During that time, she was given those orders to stay out of sight.

Sebastian took his gaze off of Faye, then took off his helmet. His gaze was determined, yet guarded. “It was a…” he trailed off. His face turned to confusion. “It’s a…” his words failed him again. Dove noticed Sebastian seemed frustrated.

“Guardian?” Dove wanted to know, she was patient, but she could see his will to tell her.

“I know what _ it _ is, but it feels like I’m not supposed to tell you, not by my own choice. You know I don’t and can’t keep things from you. So the fact that I can’t tell you concerns me,” Sebastian winced and attempted to stand up slowly. “The only thing I believe I can tell you is that I’ll know when to use it.”

Sebastian looked to Faye, then her armor, then back to her. He did a double-take, her armor was upgraded, and Sebastian noticed technology that was from his world. “Did the Traveler…”

“Yes, I have a small recording if you wish to view it. All of the pieces of her armor were engulfed in Light and I watched as they looked the same, but they have some of our technology embedded in it. Some of the armor has upgraded strength, technology that Titans have been developing for a while now. There isn’t an official name for it, but it seemed like the Traveler has some plans,” Dove explained.

“Is there anything else on her armor that I should be aware of?” Sebastian asked as he hobbled over to Faye’s bedside. He was staring and noticed the blood on her. His fists clenched and the Void blade extended at his side.

“Not that I can tell; we’ll have to wait and see,” Dove regarded his tense stance. “Talk to me.”

“How was she injured?” His voice was on the verge of breaking, and he forced the blade away.

“Stab wound to the abdomen, while you were under, the Traveler healed her with a simple swipe of the aura that dripped off you, erm, them. The blood, however, was not easily removed, she was choked out by the Sangheili as four of them jumped her. She’ll live, not to worry.” She omitted the detail of how she looked before Sebastian touched the shard. That would set him off.

“Anything else I should know?” Sebastian said, sitting at the edge of her bed. Had he not see her chest rising and falling, he would be out the door in a fit of rage going after those responsible. While he was sitting, he pondered what that spark actually was. He didn’t know what it was, but he knew that he would have to use it one day. He just hopes that the day he has to is far away from now.

* * *

Faye’s mind was in a blur. She knew she was out, but not awake enough to wake up. She swears she saw something in the far reaches of her mind. They tried to enter her mind, but her natural defenses were high. She could almost feel the hurt radiating from it. _What was it?_ _Why does it feel hurt?_ _Why do _I _feel hurt?_

Then her mind played back what happened, fighting the Elites, getting stabbed, knocked out, and she wasn’t dead, yet. She wanted to wake up, but something was holding her back. Was this her body’s response to rest, to force her out of commission? She needed to get back into the fight, back to _ him _. It seemed that everything was working against her, and eventually her struggle ended in vain as she blacked out to rest.

* * *

Sebastian hadn’t left her side yet, even when he relented in calling the medics, as they had no clue on what was going on at the time. They only knew what Noble Team supplied them. So, when they knocked on Noble Six’s quarters, they were surprised that G7 answered the door. The team looked over to see her out of armor, then looking at G7 with suspicious stares.

The Guardian eventually let them in without another word and they carried her off to access her injuries or lack thereof. Sebastian followed them, wondering if leaving her armor here was a good idea. A look to Dove conveyed his request. She made a sperate Transmat file and carefully transmatted piece after piece into it, just in case. Dove also took the liberty to make digital copies of her armor for further study. There were no rules against it.

Sebastian followed quickly and Dove floated quickly behind his shoulder. “Noble Team is going to want to speak with me, and I want you to be there,” Dove said catching her Guardian’s attention.

“They can wait, I don’t have time to sit around and explain things that I don’t have the memory of, nor am I leaving you in the same room as them. The only one I’ll do that with is her,” Sebastian said, not looking over his shoulder. The medics directed him to Observation and he just stood there, motionless.

The Hunter heard the door open and the hesitating of steps before he craned his head over his shoulder. He saw visible relief in their postures, “I’m not that bad, am I?”

He received no response. Sebastian could feel the eyes of multiple people on him, and even then, his eyes never left Faye. They had her in this zero-gravity chamber and her hair was pulled from her bun and Sebastian held his tongue from expressing how much he liked it down. Dove could easily tell, she noticed these signs, and that strengthened her resolve to make sure that they work out. If the Traveler brought him here to make him happy, then she will support him.

That doesn’t mean he forgot about her, the lingering question that came up again was ‘What about Dove? What about other Ghosts?’ He knew she was lonely, and while he can alleviate some of it, he can’t alleviate all of it. It shouldn’t have to be this hard.

Sebastian ignored all the eyes on him, and he turned, finally to see Noble Team, some were staring past him, others looking directly at him. A flash of trepidation swept across Sebastian. “Are you fans of one-sided conversations? I’m not, so speak or leave.”

That prompted the question, “What happened?” It came from Jun, much to Sebastian’s surprise.

“I remember waking up in Faye’s quarters, before that, I touched the shard and I finally have an answer as to why I’m here,” he turned back to see Faye resting on the table once more.

The silence was his cue to continue, but he let it hang there. The answer was personal, and he didn’t feel the need to share. Kat jolted ahead and made him turn around. “Well?”

“It’s personal, and I don’t feel like sharing. So back off,” his eyes flashed white for a split second. Dove saw this and intervened.

“Back off all of you,” she turned to Sebastian, “You need to cool off, it is lingering in your system still. You need to use some Light to flush it out.” His eyes darted to Faye. “She’ll be here when you get back,” she then turned to Noble Team, “Won’t she?” Her tone implied repercussions if she wasn’t.

“No promises, but we need to know what went through your mind,” Kat said, taking a fleeting glance at Faye, then at Sebastian who was watching her with intent. Kat noticed it was _ love _. There was a small flicker in his eye, not the white flash, but his eyes looked brighter every time Faye was mentioned. “Well, it confirms one thing, Seb.” She gave him a pointed glance, and thankfully, she was the only one who noticed his rosy cheeks.

Sebastian made the mistake of looking at Kat when he flushed a lit bit more. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before saying, “I literally came to about a half-hour ago. How long was I out?”

“Three hours,” Carter supplied. “You left, presumably, at twenty-three hundred hours and returned at two hundred hours. It is currently three hundred hours.”

Sebastian crossed his arms and leaned back on the wall, glancing at Faye every so often. His glances were not escaping the rest of Noble Team. Emile muttered something under his breath before leaving. The room was silent when he left and for a few minutes, no one said a thing, not even Dove, who was floating idly by over Sebastian’s shoulder. Sebastian’s fingers were tapping his arm to keep himself occupied, but that changed when he noticed movement in the room.

Faye’s body was twitching violently, but her eyes were closed. Sebastian’s protective instincts went overboard and rushed out of the room with blinding speed. Kat, Carter, and Jun watched the blur known as Sebastian rush into the room. The medics wanted him out, but he said something that made the medics pause. Without another word from anyone, Sebastian reached out for Faye. Kat saw the look of hope and awe in his eyes. _ A weird one to be sure, but they seem great together. _

Sebastian reached out for Faye’s hand and the moment he did, Faye’s body stopped twitching. Even Sebastian gave himself pause, he didn’t think that would work. With a few words to Dove, he made the medics leave after they checked over her vitals. She was as healthy as she could be.

The moment they left, the observation room was cut off from view. Carter expressed his discontent, Jun snorted, and Kat let out a small chuckle. They must still be going through the honeymoon phase.

Sebastian held her hand with both of his, he was seated right next to her. She seemed so peaceful, but a part of him was stressed that she didn’t wake up yet. Sebastian mumbled aloud, “You look so beautiful. Every time I look into your eyes I see that flicker of fear. You’re worried about weakness, but this makes you human. Just because you are this badass super-soldier, does not mean you aren’t allowed to feel human emotion.”

Sebastian was too distracted at holding her hand that he didn’t notice her eyelids twitch. Dove pointed it out and his gaze shot up to her face. “Come on, I know you probably can hear me, come back. I don’t know what you are going through, but I _ need _ you here. Without you…” he let his words hang in the air; he didn’t want to finish that thought nor think about it.

The Spartan was battling her mind with multiple scenarios and most of them ended in the same way, she would lose. Only then did she hear a voice, a voice that she thought she lost. Something began pushing her towards the voice, and she gathered her fears and worries and charged head-on towards the voice. Towards _ him _.

She felt like someone ran her over, multiple times. She felt naked, maybe it was because she knew her armor wasn’t on, but her undersuit was. Her eyes opened and shut again, her vision blurry, but she could make out a vague color. _ Blue _ . The blue color that she has come to memorize. The color that made her feel _ fuzzy _ on the inside. Without warning, her free arm wrapped around the person’s neck and held them close. _ He _ was back with her. She heard a faint ‘woah’ of surprise and a small struggle, but eventually, he relented.

“Faye?” his voice sent a shiver down her spine. It sounded so vulnerable, worried, and full of relief. He attempted to pull back, but she clung to him, not letting him escape. She didn’t know she needed him as much as she did. Sebastian was thankful that he made Dove close off the room.

With much reluctance from both parties, both parted from their embrace and Sebastian slowly helped Faye up to a sitting position. The first words out of her mouth were, “My armor… where?”

Dove didn’t need Sebastian’s permission to make her armor appear, pieces at a time, on an armor stand. Now that it was there, Faye blinked a few times to try and clear her vision. Her throat was on fire, it felt harder to breathe. “Relax Faye, you’re safe,” he sighed, “it was my fault, I shouldn’t have left, this wouldn’t have-“ she cut him off with a light shove.

Dove was giving him an earful as well since the topic of blame came up. Faye smiles at their bond and wondered what it would be like to have a companion like Dove. She then felt warm, her body liking the thought. “Couldn’t you just put a trace of Light in her to make the swelling go down? Something to stir her healing process along?”

“Sebastian, we don’t know what it could do, and that’s putting it lightly,” Dove said with slight fear.

“But you also remember what they said about your theory. That they were _ here _ before they came to our world, so it’s entirely possible, considering that they tinkered with her armor…” Sebastian trailed off as Faye roughly grabbed his arm. This was the _ tell me now, or I’m going to hurt you _kinda grab.

“Hey hey hey, it wasn’t me nor Dove who tinkered with it. It was the God of my world. The Traveler had upgraded your armor, I actually can’t explain it as I wasn’t in my body at the time,” Sebastian reassured her. The grip faded, but she didn’t release him.

“Faye, do you want me to attempt to heal your throat? I warn you, I have zero clue what the Light is going to do to you,” Dove didn’t say her next sentence as Faye nodded firmly. Dove inched closer, “Last chance to back out.”

Faye’s voice was hoarse and low, “Do it.”

Dove had just prepped her beam and was about to begin the process when Sebastian’s being lit up and a small beam hit Faye’s neck. Sebastian staggered back leaning against the cabinets. “What the fuck was that?!” he groaned as he clutched his chest.

“How the hell should I know?” Faye’s voice came next. She halted, stunned by her own voice, it sounded _ normal _ compared to thirty seconds ago. “What did you hit me with?”

His voice strained and his physical being feeling weak, “If I knew, I’d tell you. Add it to the list of stockpiling questions I have.”

She stood up, feeling perfectly fine, and walked over and embraced him, her arms wrapped around him. She missed him immensely, where no mere words could describe. Out of her armor, she was a few inches shorter than him. Sebastian instantly put his arms around her and he hugged her tighter, resting his chin on her head, not caring that his armor was sorta in the way, unless she decided that it was bothering her then he would worry about it. “I was so worried. I don’t know what fully happened over those three hours, but all that matters is that you are safe with me.”

Faye squeezed tighter, this was the one time she was fully letting her guard down and just clung to him. Admittedly, Faye was touch starved, as most Spartans are. Sebastian paused for a split second as if he was feeling her emotions. He stayed leaning back with his chin on her head. “Do you want to know why I’m really here?”

Faye pulled back far enough to look into his eyes, _ the most handsome eyes I’ve ever looked into, _ before hugging him again, “Tell me later. Right now, I need this.”

Sebastian said nothing more as his armor disappeared and casual clothes appeared. Now that the distance was closer, he slightly swayed with her. He kissed her temple and just enjoyed the moment for what it was worth. Sebastian knew that this would most likely never happen again. _ I’m a selfish man, I don’t ever want it to end. _

The coming days were going to be difficult if Sebastian could bet on something. Even in his embrace, Faye could tell he was thinking, but absorbing the moment all the same. She kissed his cheek and that snapped him out of his thoughts before he got a familiar gleam in his eyes. They were going to kiss, but Dove had to be the bearer of bad news, “I know you two have the ‘screw me’ look, but you two are needed.”

Faye went back into her normal self, the moment fading, “Why?”

“There’s an ONI agent here, and they are looking for my Guardian,” Dove said, looking right at Sebastian.

_ If this person thinks I’m going to comply, then they are dead wrong, or they might end up dead. Either option works. _Sebastian thought to himself, chuckling as he did so.


	21. Insert Wrench

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another Chapter. This goes from Base to a Mission, since I've been out of action, per se, for like four chapters. I need to get back into it. I will admit, this plot (I mean story) became so much more than a simple idea. I'm thankful for all the Kudos and comments! I love hearing from you, and then I smile at my phone because of the emails. Then, I say out loud, "Why are there so many of you following me?!"
> 
> Okay, now real talk: COVID-19. We all know its here, and I don't mean to make it seem bad, but it does seem to be spreading a lot more. Wash yo hands, don't touch your face if you touched something that you personally suspect to have been in contact with the virus. Introverts unite! (Because we don't want to leave our houses!)
> 
> Finally, enjoy! Be safe everyone!

“Why are you chuckling?” Faye asked him.

“If this ONI person thinks that I’m going to go anywhere with them, then they better bring more than just one person,” he said. “We don’t have to go see them now, and if you want, I could explain a lot of the things that you may have questions for,” he whispered. That was when he realized that his hands were still resting on her hips, and he was  _ in distress _ . He would have to calm himself before doing anything.

Faye heard the stress in his voice and her leg ever-so innocently brushed against Sebastian’s middle, causing him to tighten his grip on her for a second before easing up. “I see, but maybe we could talk later.” She grinned at seeing his cheeks flush, while his eyes dilated and focused solely on her.

Sebastian picked up on her offer before they parted and while they did, he began to explain what he could, from Faye asking what happened to his arm, how he escaped with only one arm, even to the beam that healed Faye’s neck. “I don’t know, honestly. I just know that I have this spark that I have to use one day,” he explained when she asked.

Dove had provided information where Sebastian could not in some of his explanations. As it stood, Faye was caught up. Faye had one last question, “When you explained in the message about your past, what would have happened if you didn’t sacrifice your arm?”

Sebastian expected a question about it, but maybe not this one. He answered anyway, “It was either that, or I became a SIVAfied Guardian, and with the power of the Light and that virus, it would have had catastrophic results. My mentors would have to kill…” his eyes subtly flashed to Dove and Faye noticed.

Faye winced a little, “Sorry I asked.”

“No no, you’re fine, I just don’t like to pursue that line of thought,” he said as his armor appeared on the table. He wanted to put it on himself sometimes, that and he wanted more time with her. The Guardian just wishes their war would end so they could disappear. While he was mounting his chest piece, he asked, “Anything I should know about ONI agents?”

“Don’t answer their questions, especially if they are straight forward,” she said watching him with her brown eyes that seemed to ignite his very body. Dove was amused, seeing their tension.  _ I should make a presentation of their tension, that’ll do it. _

Faye finally took a look at her armor, and she noticed the subtle upgrades, but otherwise, her armor looked the same as it did when she designed it. Her fingers glided over her armor, “Is there anything I should know about these upgrades?”

“Besides the fact that your armor is the most upgraded suit of armor the UNSC has and the fact it has technology that Titans have been working on over the past four years in it? No, I don’t know much else. That would be a question for the Traveler themselves. Just don’t let ONI know, because I can be possessive when I wanna be,” Sebastian said normally, not currently glancing at her.

However, Faye interpreted it as a way he expresses his affection verbally. It caused her face to feel warm. Now, another question, “Dove, how  _ did _ my armor come off?”

“Traveler,” she supplied the short answer. Faye filled in the blanks. With that being said, she started to put the armor on, starting with the legs. She put her hair back up so that the helmet doesn’t get in the way. It was the torso that she would need help with.

Sebastian shamelessly watched with fascination. He knew she would eventually need help and he would wait until she needed it. That didn’t mean he couldn’t watch or steal a glance or two. Once she got her arms and legs of her armor on, she picked up her chest piece and gave him a look, accompanied by a smirk. “Well, are you going to help me or not?”

“Would it be bad for me to say I like watching you struggle?” Sebastian questioned with a face that was the epitome of innocence.

“Get over here and help me before I pummel you,” she threatened.

“There are two kinds of pummeling, so which one are you talking about?” Sebastian asked before his cheeks flushed. He didn’t mean for it come out that way, but… it did. He, without another word, went over to Faye. Faye noticed his cheeks were rosy, and until she repeated her words in her head, she understood why and flushed as well.

“Just get over here and help me. The faster we do this, the faster we can ‘talk’ to the agent and hopefully move on to the next mission,” Faye said ushering him behind her.

Sebastian had to force all those less than suitable thoughts away and help her. His hands moved with purpose. The armor was easily fastened to her chest, the accents lit up once the pieces all connected. Now, she wasn’t just Faye, she was Noble Six. “We used to do this after we relaxed.”

Faye looked on confused before she connected the dots, “You used to dress each other?”

“A form of aftercare,” he quickly defended himself. “We cared about each other, and we wanted to make sure we cared for one another’s personal feelings.” While normally talking about it, he would shy away from the subject, deeming it too personal but with Faye, he would gladly tell her about the crazy adventures they went on. Thankfully, Faye wasn’t jealous, just happy that he had someone who cared about him the same way he cared about her.

Faye slipped her helmet on, “Come on, we have a chat to get to.”

Childishly, Sebastian whined, “Do we  _ have  _ to?” Faye only tugged him out of the room and he slipped his helmet on and began walking next to her, a goofy smile plastered on his face.

* * *

Noble Team was not really surprised that an ONI agent showed up unexpectedly. However, this one came with a directive, to find out more about Noble’s newest addition, G7. What they know is that this unit is not under UNSC command. They aren’t under  _ any _ command, for that matter. Anything helping Humanity not under UNSC or ONI command is perceived as a threat.

The door to the command center opened to reveal a Spartan and an unidentifiable entity. “Spartan B312, a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” the agent turned towards the other figure, “and you are?”

“G7,” Sebastian said, not trusting the confident stance the agent was in. Sebastian didn’t like how their eyes were raking over his body, in a predatory way. Sebastian didn’t shrink away, he stood there, uninterested.

“I’m Agent Rice with the Office of Naval Intelligence,” the agent said with a hand extended. Sebastian made sure his glove was on before shaking the agent’s hand, but the Hunter’s eyes were watching the agent’s body language. He stepped back a few steps to give himself space.

Sebastian didn’t like him, Dove didn’t like him, she was going to remain hidden until told otherwise. “Not to be rude, but what business do you have here?”

“You,” Rice said plainly. “We need to talk.”

Sebastian already didn’t like where this was going. “Commander, do I actually have to go with this person who looks like a pencil pusher?” The looks on Noble Team’s faces were well-veiled surprised, and Jun was holding back a chuckle. The agent, however, was unfazed by the comment and that worried Sebastian.

“This will only take a few minutes and I will be out of your way,” Agent Rice said gesturing to a side room.

“And if I don’t want to? Listen, I get it, you don’t trust me. I don’t trust you either. And I especially don’t trust the squad of soldiers you have stationed outside the room. That actually hurts my feelings,” Sebastian didn’t care at this point. “Honestly, ONI seems like a bunch of control freaks.” Sebastian took a step forward now. “You’re here because you’re worried that a potential asset could or couldn’t be on your side. You’re also power-hungry. I’ve seen what power does to people. Even the innocent ones are corrupted by the mere thought, that seed that is planted into people’s heads, and that seed leads to so many undesirable futures.”

Sebastian paused and stepped to the side of the agent. “Ask yourself this Rice, if I wasn’t on your side, then why would I be here? Being a double-agent doesn’t fit the bill for me. I have something that prevents me from doing that. Do you wanna know what that is?”

The agent’s face twitched at Sebastian, and he smirked. “Have I angered you? What are you going to do? Lash out? Apprehend me? The moment that someone bursts into in room, someone is going to be limping out of here.”

“Are you threatening me, G7?” the agent asked calmly but was stewing on the inside.

“Me? Threatening an ONI agent?  _ Never _ . I’m promising you, a big difference,” Sebastian was grinning widely under the helmet and surprised to see that none of Noble Team intervened, surely one of them would at this point, or they were enjoying the show too much.

Sebastian glanced at Kat, Carter, Jun, and Emile; they currently looked disinterested in the conversation, but Sebastian knew better, they were watching. Faye was currently leaned against a wall next to Kat. The Guardian took it as his cue to continue. “Do I want to fulfill my promise? Absolutely, but you haven’t done anything wrong to me, yet.  _ Dove, depolarize my visor, eyes only _ , he said to her through their bond.

Now, he was looking right at Agent Rice, “I don’t like harming other Humans when where I hail from, there aren’t many of us left. So, kindly fuck off and go snoop elsewhere, unless you’re going to help us plan a counter-attack, then go ahead and stay and plan with us.”

Without missing a beat, Agent Rice responded, “I could have you arrested for threatening an ONI agent, G7.”

“With what evidence? You mean the audio recorder that I had disabled and wiped the moment I walked into the room? I’m not an idiot and I’m better off being left alone. Call it our little secret, unless you’re willing to share a secret of yours.” 

“That will not be happening, you are coming with me,” Agent Rice moved to Sebastian but he stepped back.

“On what grounds?” Sebastian’s voice got giddy. Dove knew exactly why too. He loves messing with people, especially when he’s innocent in this case because he hasn’t actually done anything yet.

“Threatening my life, in front of five witnesses, and refusal to cooperate,” Agent Rice listed off whilst gesturing to Noble Team as the five witnesses.

Sebastian shrugged before asking. “Did you guys hear anything I said?” None of them responded, yet they heard every word. To be fair, none of them really like ONI meddling in their affairs, they have secrets that have secrets. “Well, it looks like you’re out of luck. Should it be known that I’m not under anyone’s command? Because of the way I see it, you have no jurisdiction over me. I’m here because I’m trying to help you fight against the Covenant, and if your ignorant bosses can’t see that, then I pity you.” Sebastian walked by him and stood right by Carter, leaning back against the table. “If that’s what you wanted to talk about then okay.”

_ Dove, reenable his audio but make my voice scrambled under heavy encryption. _

A few seconds later, she replied in his mind,  _ ‘Done.’ _

“I’m pledging my allegiance to the UNSC  _ only _ and its assets and I further pledge my allegiance to Noble Team under the condition that I go where they go. They will act as my assigned squad. I will follow Noble into the depths of hell and back. I will be an asset to this team, and if anyone wants to complain about it, say it to my face, and not through a messenger,” Sebastian declared, making each member of Noble subtly look at Sebastian with vague expressions of approval.

Agent Rice stood speechless before clearing his throat and walking out the door, the sounds of multiple footsteps fading from his hearing. Once Sebastian deemed that Rice was far away, he spoke, “I know that wasn’t the proper way of handling it, at all, but I seriously am getting sick of people not trusting me.” Then, he started chuckling, “It was also hard to keep my composure because his fly was down.”

“And how did you know that?” Jun asked, curious to know.

“I have eyes elsewhere,” Sebastian replied vaguely. “You know, I thought you would all be reprimanding me by now. Care to explain why you aren’t?”

Emile butted in, “You said what we’ve been wanting to say for years, Seven.”

“Got that right,” Faye commented. Sebastian glanced at her, knowing she has more than enough reasons.

“I already know that he nor the heads of ONI will not be happy and will most likely send more agents, or a full battalion to ‘apprehend’ me. They would regret that, and there would be a lot of broken legs,” Sebastian said with air quotes, but he didn’t fail to miss Faye wincing just a tad. Now that he can stare at her longer than what was considered stalking, he was starting to pick up the quirks in her body language.

“ONI is something that wants to know everything they can, no matter what,” Carter warned.

“Believe me, I understand that. Did you all also forget that Dove can literally make any security system a joke, when in range of said system? How else do you think she disabled his feed? I had her restore it so they could get an ‘official’ statement,” Sebastian explained.

“Now they have your voice on file,” Jun pointed out.

Sebastian retorted, “Under heavy and near impossible encryption, yes. They could spend decades and they would never be able to crack it. Technology is about five or six centuries ahead of you in my world. I just have a feeling that it won’t be the last time I see Agent Rice.”

“Knowing ONI, you probably won’t. Who knows, he might bring more friends,” Faye suggested under her breath. 

Sebastian was in hearing range of her retort, “That would be their last mistake. I can pull a few hat tricks when I want to.”

Jun simply laughed in response. Kat grinned at him. Carter nodded his head in visual approval. Emile grunted but congratulated him. Faye nudged his arm in silent approval. Sebastian immediately got down to business, “So, when are we leaving? I know you have  _ something _ planned and I want in.”

“Good, because we’re taking Falcons. Noble Two is in charge of the counter-op, so you follow her instructions as if they were my own, am I understood?” Carter said in a no-nonsense tone.

Faye gave a formal salute, while Sebastian gave him a two-finger salute, “Ay, sir.”

Everyone chuckled at his nonchalance, and while they were being briefed, Sebastian had Dove pull out all of his weapons. He needed something to focus on while Carter and Kat explained this op.

* * *

Immediately afterward, both Faye and Sebastian were in a Falcon, along with a few marines who will man the turrets. They barely bat an eye at Sebastian, so he assumed they already knew of him and said nothing. He would have spoken to them if they spoke to him, but might as well not poke that bear. Sebastian could have flown the Falcon, but he’d rather get the chance to rest, or at least, not having to stress about anything. Faye also insisted that she fly the Falcon, and he wasn’t going to argue with someone who could snap him like a twig. Dove chuckled at his logic.

“Should we expect the absolute worst?” Sebastian asked over the radio.

_ “We should expect to see a lot of ruins in New Alexandria. I just hope those ODSTs made it out. As for where we are going, Kat said that the Covenant have set up two jammers somewhere in the city. Our job is to take them out. Apparently, we haven’t been able to contact Command,” _ Faye explained.  _ “So, we’re flying without them.” _

Sebastian  _ hmmed _ in reply. He had Fatebringer and Her Supremacy on, but the catch was, no heavy weapon. Instead, he was wearing Mask of the Third Man and Bones of Eao. A small thing he can pull off, by not using a heavy weapon or any exotic weapon, he can wear two different exotic armor pieces. The glowing blue eyes of the Third Man scanned the horizon from his seat. Faye didn’t know what he was currently wearing, but he’s expecting some close-quarters combat and a knife was a great thing to have in his hand. His weapons were currently in their respective holsters, but his hands were fiddling with his knife. The Knife that Rosa gave him, that she fashioned for him as a Dawning gift. He will hold onto this as long as he can.

The sound of shooting brought him out of his thoughts and he holstered his knife back into its sheath and took out Her Supremacy. Peaking over the shoulder of a Marine, he noticed a bunch of Covenant soldiers in front of their objective. Sebastian tsked, “This will not do. Six, you got the ordinance to deal with them?”

All he received back was a dark chuckle and the sound of the Falcon’s main cannon firing. Sebastian chuckled as well, aiming through his scope, watching the Covenant be torn to pieces. _Good._ _They deserve it for what they have done._ Dove picked up on his line of thought and nudged him mentally. Sebastian felt his muscles compulsively relax and he lowered his eyes from his scope. He would have his chance, and it would be an act of sweet revenge. Right now, he was thankful that he had Dove because he would be making some costly mistakes without her. He wasn’t ready to die, but if it came down to it, then he would gladly lay down his life.

Once the shooting stop, the echo of other battles being the only shooting he could hear, Faye landed the Falcon at the first jammer’s location, a hospital of all places. Sebastian hopped out of the Falcon and surveyed the immediate area, Fatebringer in hand, Her Supremacy on a sling while Dove did a scan to make sure there wasn’t any more Covenant on the landing pad.  _ “You’re clear.” _

The pilot’s pod opened and Faye stepped out, shouldering a DMR and Magnum. Sebastian’s back was to her, but his body language was half-tense, half-calm like he’s expecting something. Her hand touched his shoulder, and he tensed a little more, and it brought her lips together, concerned. He slowly turned around and she raised an eyebrow. His helmet had drastically changed, three glowing eyes staring back at her. Sensing her hesitation and confused look, “Don’t worry, I’m still me under here, just a different helmet,” he quickly assured her.

“Part of your arsenal?” she asked, voice low.

“It has its perks, that and the boots,” he said before pointing to a platform that he wouldn’t be able to get to with his normal jumps, it was at least two stories tall. “Can get me up there, unlike normal, which would only be around halfway between the first and second platforms.”

“Any other things I should expect?” Faye asked, gripping his forearm. He was still tense, yet his verbal language didn’t show it.

“None that would particularly interest you, but I;ve always wanted to be a wrench in their plans,” his free hand put Fatebringer back in his holster. He was nervous, not of Faye, but just the mission and what memories he was remembering from his capture. The more he thought about it, the worse that it got.

Letting go of him, he was still tense. “You’re worried about what you’ll face.” It was a statement, not a question.

His helmet snapped to hers, and under his helmet, he was stumbling over his words before sighing, “Yes. A question for you: Do Spartans get PTSD?” Sebastian asked with a faint whisper.

Faye just stared blankly back at him, wondering if she should answer him. No Spartans ever recorded  _ having _ PTSD, but that doesn’t mean they can’t  _ get _ it. When afflicted Spartans had to recount the event, it just sent them into aftershocks, some minor, others… severe. They were fine after forty-eight hours like it never happened. Even Spartan-IIs would be affected by it, but they hide it really well. “They can,” she simply answered.

Sebastian felt there was more to that answer, but didn’t pursue, which Faye was thankful for. She then took point and slowly swept the front entrance, Sebastian on her flank, checking their six while doing so, Fatebringer and knife in hand. Dove scanned once more and felt similar technology.  _ “We have Huragok in the building.” _

Neither Faye nor Sebastian spoke but acknowledged Dove’s callout. The final door opened and Sebastian put away Fatebringer and brought out his knives that were in his arm, primed, and ready to be released on a hair-trigger. Faye signaled for him to go around one side, and she went the other way. Sebastian saw three Grunts sleeping.  _ They really be napping. _ With a few quick motions, the Grunts were dead, and they still looked like they were sleeping.

Faye disposed of the Grunts similarly, snapping their necks or a knife to their throats. Faye peered over the edge, covered in glass, to notice the Huragok looking around before rising up and making eye contact with Sebastian. To which it then seemed to have cheered in... glee? Faye was confused, and judging from Sebastian’s posture, he was just as confused as she was.

Sebastian just looked on in awe, adding to his confusion.  _ ‘Shouldn’t it be alerting the Covenant we’re here?’ _ he said to Dove silently.

The Ghost bristled in the back of his mind,  _ ‘It should, yes, but this one seems to recognize you. Was this the one who snuggled with you?’ _ Sebastian was detecting hints of jealousy?

_ ‘I don’t know, jealous much?’  _ Sebastian huffed before moving slowly on. The Huragok quickly followed and found Sebastian before doing a cheer and using its tentacles to hug him. Sebastian tensed, which it seemed to notice before warbling sadly. That was when Faye met up with him and the Huragok hid right behind Sebastian, chirping in alarm. “I guess it doesn’t like you?” he said as a joke/question. “I mean, given with what the Covenant knows about Spartans…”

“I see. Can you trust it?” Faye had no qualms, but her Xenophobia, from killing so many Covenant over this war, was on edge, not that Sebastian could blame her. She wanted to kill it, but it seemed to be of no harm. However, the moment it made a false move, she was killing it. Consequences be damned.

“Considering this one seemed to have been on the same ship, or they spread the word, however they do that and they like me. Still, the moment they try to get Dove, I’m defending her,” he said deadly serious, shooting a subtle glance to the Huragok.

“I’d hoped you would,” Faye said lowly back. The Huragok chirped and then both Sebastian and Faye were covered in purple shields. Sebastian lifted and inspected his hand, Faye was tense. “What is this?”

“I’m guessing an overshield… Dove?” Sebastian asked.

_ “It is an overshield, you both can relax,” _ Dove’s voice projected through his armor.  _ “Hurry along, you two need to get to the jammer.” _

Without many complaints from either of the two, Faye led them down the stairs where a small firefight ensued. Sebastian took the role of overwatch and picked off the targets behind cover, while Faye was much more upfront, but still utilized her weapons, and within seconds, the Covenant. That isn’t to say that they got out unscathed. Both of their overshields faltered and Dove had expressed how they were a hindrance to her Guardian and to the Spartan, so the Huragok followed along and chirped in confusion. It tried to give him another overshield but was confused about why it didn’t apply. Dove left a message for it to stop trying, but she expressed that she would worry about him.

Once they rounded the corner, they had a visual on the jammer, along with other Marines and Brutes fighting. As they approached, one of the Marines took a Spiker round to the shoulder and one in that same arm. The sound of her scream kicked started Sebastian, his mind thought of what he would do if it was Faye, much to his surprise. Arcblade activated instantly and he blurred across the room and slashed into a Brute.

Said Brute fizzled out of existence and the other Brutes were alarmed, their focus off the UNSC soldiers in front of them. They had to find this pest and exterminate it. Within seconds, the reason for one of their brothers disappearing was in front of them. The one that was the Supreme Commander’s ship. To the Brutes, he was still lit up in a wide arrange of sparks, breathing somewhat heavily. Their eyes, matching the glowing aura around them. As soon as their aura faded, each remaining Brute felt it, that feeling of their blood being spilled, and before long, they suffered the same fate as their brethren, disappearing in a flash of sparks.

Sebastian felt his Arcblade fade from his body, but he still clutched the knife he had, dripping with the Brute’s blood. With such effort, that fast, his breathing was heavy, but he wasn’t exhausted. In fact, he was hopped up on adrenaline. His instincts were tracking every little movement, even Faye’s silent footsteps. While yes, he couldn’t hear her, he could see her moving slowly towards him, weapon at ease, but alert. Sebastian cleaned the knife by wiping it on his leg before putting it back in its proper holster. He patted his lower back to check to make sure that his special knife was still there, he might use that one next time.

Then, his attention shifted to the soldier who took Spiker rounds in her arm. Faye seemed to notice his attention shifted and went to the jammer. The Huragok that was behind both Sebastian and Faye joined with the other Huragok before it seemed like they were talking. Faye was inspecting the jammer, while Sebastian was using the soldier’s medkit. The only sounds were the soldier whimpering and lowly screaming in pain when he pulled out the Spiker rounds. From where Faye was, she could see his helmet moving, speaking to the soldier, who was nodding at his words, eyes wide at his helmet. He wasn’t affected by it, and he could understand from the soldier’s point of view. He made conversation to distract her while his hands were quick and steady as he wrapped the bandage snug around her arm. He had Dove appear and scan the injury after the fact he finished, which drew the remaining soldiers’ eyes. Right then, Sebastian didn’t care. The Guardian just wanted to make sure they make it out of this.

“Six, how’s the jammer?” he asked over his shoulder, assisting the soldier to stand before picking up her weapon and getting it settled. With a nod of thanks from the soldier, he went over to Faye, and that was when the second Huragok went right up to Sebastian and started to snuggle with him. Sebastian chuckled.

“Well, the jammer will go down, but you need to stop making friends,” her words were cold, but Sebastian could sense the joking in it. Hopefully, it was a joke. Otherwise, he severely misinterpreted.

“S’not my fault they like me,” he leaned closer, as best he could, “You try getting off a Covie Flagship half-delirious. It was because of them I managed to escape.” His words weren’t harsh, but instead, gentle,  _ reminiscent.  _

_ These things have an effect on him, it makes him seem calm, even when he shouldn’t have a reason to be.  _ Faye didn’t dare say this thought aloud, but he also made a good point, and she would have to stuff her Xenophobia down the hatch for the time being. The surviving troopers were tense, and Sebastian could feel it, most likely from the Huragok as they bristled against him.

“The jammer, Six. Can it be disabled safely?” his words still soft, but his focus was high.

“There’s only one way to disable the jammer ‘safely’,” she deadpanned him. Sebastian looked back to both of them before they chirped in acceptance, then he nodded to her. Faye took an M9 frag grenade, pulled the pin, and inserted it into the jammer. With a quick back step, the jammer ceased to exist. The explosion was pretty though.

That was when Covenant Rangers stormed the building and opened fired on them. Sebastian twirled out of the plasma’s path and found a place to hide behind while he readied Fatebringer. Faye had already taken down two of the Rangers, while Sebastian peppered shots at two others. The Marines were also taking potshots, even with the minor to somewhat major injuries. Kat had spoken to both of them, but they tuned her out for the heat of the moment. A couple of plasma shots bounced off Sebastian’s armor, slightly burning him, but he shrugged it off. It wasn’t something to worry about now. Instead, he took out one of his many throwing knives and looked for the furthest one away.

Once he peeked over, he saw the one Elite that was hiding in the back. Sebastian had his target, and once he gripped the knife, he sprung out of cover and whipped the knife with inhuman speed. Then again, he charged it with Light. It struck true and the Elite collapsed as the knife was lodged into its neck, blade poking from the other side. Sebastian smirked at his kill, while the Marines who noticed were impressed. Now the fun part, getting the knife back.

Faye noticed his kill from her peripherals and was impressed at the sheer accuracy. Once the last Ranger was killed, thanks to a sniper shot from Sebastian, Kat finally spoke in their shared channel,  _ “Excellent job taking down the jammer, but one more remains near the business district. Exact location unknown, so you will have to find it as you go. Unless Seven can use his companion to find this jammer. Status on the Marines?” _

Faye looked around at all the Marines before turning back around, “They’re green for the time being.”

Sebastian came up to the side of her and waited for orders, or at least a chance to talk. Meanwhile, Kat responded,  _ “Alright, head back to your Falcon and find that jammer, then come to the ONI building. We’ll meet up there and after that, who knows.” _

“Understood,” Faye let the line go dead before turning to Sebastian, “You good?”

“Yeah,” he said relaxed, and considering what just happened, Faye wondered how he could be. At that moment, he went to collect his knife. With a fast grip, he yanked it out of the Elite’s throat.

“What about our two guests?” she really didn’t like being around them.

“Hopefully, they’ll catch the hint that they stay here. It’s not that I don’t want them to follow, but I don’t think them tagging along would cause very avoidable problems,” he shrugged. “What about the Marines?”

One of them happened to hear it, “We got orders to hunker down here for the time being. You two go on ahead,” they waved them off.

Faye led the way and he followed. Dove continued to scan and left a carefully crafted note for the Huragok. A token of her appreciation for caring for him while she couldn’t. It was the least she could do because she went back over her data and found that he would have died on fifteen different occasions, had it not been for the Huragok, she would have lost him. While she didn’t outright speak, Sebastian felt her emotions; he responded silently with his own thankfulness.

Once outside again, Faye hopped into the pilot seat and he hopped into the passenger’s seat, where he gave a small wave at the Marines. “Any hostiles?”

Both of them shook their heads, “Nah, the skies are relatively clear.”

“That doesn’t mean that they are safe,” Sebastian countered.

“Fair, but we checked the radar, we checked visually, and we checked with other forces in the area. The skies are clear  _ for now _ . Anyway, is there a way that you could possibly change whatever helmet you’re wearing? It’s kinda freaking me out,” they said.

Sebastian chuckled, “Why? Does it scare you? I’ve seen some shit and trust me, this helmet is the least of your concerns.”

_ “Cut the chatter, Seven. Could you send Dove up here? I need her assistance,”  _ Faye said just to him.

The Hunter huffed, “Killjoy. Alright Dove, go help Six with what she needs. I’ll be here unless I decided that I really want to try Bonzai skydiving.” That drew a few chuckles out of the Marines in the gunner seats.

_ “I swear if you do, I’ll make you regret it Seven,” _ Faye’s voice came only to him. He snorted in response but didn’t doubt her claim. Dove chuckled all the while before phasing to the cockpit of the Falcon.

“How can I help you, Faye?” Dove chirped as soon as she was visible, floating across from Faye.

“Could you assist me in finding the jammer? My instruments are all screwed up, but the only ones that work are weapons and altitude. Otherwise, I’m flying blind,” Faye shrugged lightly while steering the Falcon.

“Noble Two said that this jammer was in the business district, correct?” Dove questioned. She needed her information to be accurate. Faye nodded at the Ghost’s question. “Alright, one moment.” Silence ensued as Dove opened her shell to expose her core. Her shell bits were floating together as they rotated around the faint blue orb that she gave off. Faye stole a glance and she took the chance to appreciate her.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“What for?” Dove asked confused. That confusion intensified as Faye didn’t respond to the Ghost’s question and continued to scan for the jammer. Her floating shell bits, whatever they are, now accented. Were they like that before? No matter.

Faye continued to fly closer to the business district to hopefully get a better read on where the jammer is. Soon enough, all of Faye’s instruments all halted, then spun out of control. The dials and screens acting all weird, but they still are flying without an issue.

“Dove, any luck?” Faye asked.

“I have a closer reading, but even then, this jammer is messing with me, only slightly, but I do believe it is in the main stock exchange building or your equivalent name for it,” Dove clarified.

“Any Covenant forces present at the site?” Faye inquired.

“None that I could see, so keep a sharp eye out. I’ll be pinging when we get closer,” she chirped. “Now, if you need me, just call me, and I’ll be right up.”

Faye only nodded at the Ghost and sped the Falcon up to the targeted area.

Once Dove appeared in the back, she landed in Sebastian’s open hand, where he brought her closer and stroked her shell. They didn’t need to say anything, and Sebastian didn’t bother telling the Marines to look away, they would just look anyway. He continued to scan the horizon from his seat. Many things were going through his mind, but he didn’t outwardly project those thoughts, as they weren’t important at the moment. Right now, he needed to focus.

_ “Coming up on the supposed AO, let’s get a move on, Seven,” _ Faye’s voice rang out in the Falcon’s internal speakers.

At that moment, Dove began pinging from Sebastian’s hand, and he responded by channeling Light into his hand to help her out. While doing so, he was giving her a look from the helmet. It was more of a why, but he didn’t have time to ask as the sound of a Banshee flew up the broadside of the Falcon.

Sebastian let go of Dove, and she transmatted away that very instant. Sebastian didn’t have time to change helmets, but he let the power of Sol fill his whole being before the Golden Gun was in his hand. His eyesight improved and immediately spotted a Banshee flying right at them. All the Banshee saw was the Falcon and a glowing person inside it before it disintegrated into ash. Sebastian immediately put the gun behind him and blind fired. The shot whizzed over a Marine’s head. He would have felt bad if it killed him, but that would be a tough one to explain to their significant other.

The good thing was that another Banshee ceased to exist as the Falcon’s main guns were firing away, the smell of spent gunpowder stuck to the air. Sebastian took a deep breath because the last time he smelt that was… a long time ago. A  _ really _ long time ago. Shaking his head, the Golden Gun faded from his hand and he sat down again before pulling out Her Supremacy and looking. The Marines on the turrets were shooting at other Covenant on the landing pad.

“Six, this was a lot closer than I thought it would be,” he said idly, squeezing the trigger and taking the head off a Brute.

_ “To be frank, I thought the same,” _ she said with what seemed like no emotion, but he heard the undertone of concern.

After the final brute was gunned down, Faye landed the Falcon and Sebastian stepped out. Faye hopped out of the cockpit and stood next to Sebastian, “You ready?”

A scoff came from the Guardian, “When am I not?”

* * *

The building happened to be one of the tallest ones in sight, but also the most difficult to see if that even makes any sense. Sebastian tried to wrap his head around it but eventually gave up on it. It wasn’t worth the trouble. Faye led them both through the building and they eventually got to an elevator. She turned around to make sure he was still there and she gave him a look, well her body did.

“What? You expect me to go first? Ladies first,” Sebastian shrugged.

“That’s right, you first,” Faye joked.

“Do my ears deceive me?! Dove, you heard it, right? Did  _ the  _ Noble Six, just make a joke? In  _ my _ presence?” Sebastian was aminated in his motions, but that may be because of the unknown. These things are not quite his favorite, but someone’s got to do it.

_ “Don’t push it, or she’ll push you, Seb,” _ Dove lightly chided.

Faye just grabbed him by the shoulder and both of them entered the elevator. The Spartan hit the button to head to the top floor or the penthouse area. There were no other conversations taking place, both in their own thoughts, and Dove was too. Half of her was paying attention, and the other half was still trying to decipher the Traveler’s words.

The Ghost was curious at what the spark would be used for and some theories came to mind, but none of them make sense, yet. She has an answer, but no supporting evidence, as it stands now.

The ding of the elevator pulled everyone back to the here and now. As soon as the doors opened, Sebastian was hit with a sense of dread. “I already don’t like this.”

“Haven’t you done this for over two hundred years?” Faye asked gently.

Sebastian nodded, but spoke softly, “That doesn’t mean it gets easier as time goes on. If anything, it gets worse, considering the things I’ve seen, outside the crisis. This feeling was like a friend at one point, and I didn’t miss it then, and I certainly don’t miss it now.”

Faye nodded but squeezed his shoulder in reassurance, then she took point. Dove continued to scan, with the half that was actually paying attention. Sebastian felt at ease just from her touch. What he would do to feel a  _ little _ bit more; at his line of thought, he shook his head slightly and resumed checking behind them, above them, and everywhere she wasn’t. Which wasn’t much, he swears she has eyes in the back of her head. Then again, her training probably taught her to be focused at all times.

The room was dark, yes, but the architecture was beautiful. If Sebastian didn’t know any better. He would have said that this was authentic wood, maybe oak, or birch, but the room looked to be a zen garden of sorts. Then again, he could be wrong. Sebastian isn’t the most cultured Guardian out there. 

Footsteps.

Both of them froze and listened. It was only the sound of one person’s footsteps. Sebastian sent a mental request to ping the area. Three seconds later, Dove replied,  _ “Human footsteps, heart rate dangerously high, adrenaline levels exceeding normal. They’re running from something.” _

“Which begs the question: From what?” Sebastian asked.

“We’re about to find out,” Faye said as she stepped around the corner, Magnum raised. A soldier running down the hallway zoomed by, looking behind them. Sebastian caught them and dragged them to the wall, his hand covering their mouth.

They struggled in his grip, but once they saw Faye, they relaxed, but only slightly. Her voice was firm as she spoke, “Trooper, status?”

Sebastian removed his hand from their mouth and they took a shaky breath, “Our whole squad th-thought it was going to be easy. G-Go in and take out the jammer. We did-didn’t expect them, we should have.” The soldier’s voice was female and Sebastian could tell they were still looking, judging by how their eyes were searching the room.

“Them as in…?” Sebastian asked, for further clarification

“Drones,” she responded, the soldier’s voice quiet. “They picked them up and just… the screams of fear and agony.”

“Say no more, did you complete your objective?” Faye’s voice cut in.

“N-No. We almost made it to the source, but they cut us off,” she spoke back, hesitant.

Sebastian intervened, “Point me to the room and I’ll handle it.”

The soldier looked up surprised but gave the coordinates to the room. Sebastian then went invisible and left without another word, leaving Faye and the soldier in two different states of awe.

Sebastian was taking fast and light steps towards the jammer but also had his knives out ready. The Void in him started to churn and bubble, as what something in a cauldron would do. The Void blade on his wrist became noticeable as he rushed into the room with the jammer. Sebastian paused as he noticed everything. All he saw were the beady eyes of the Drones, each and every one of them smelled the air and their wings bristled. Sebastian looked at the jammer and did the only thing he could do.

Uncloak, slash the jammer and run like the Devil himself was chasing him.

The sound of all the Drones screeching pierced his ears. Faye, meanwhile, heard the screeches and was on alert. She peered around the corner and saw Sebastian booking it. “I do not have time to explain! Run!” As soon as he said that, Faye holstered her weapons and grabbed the soldier, who let out a shriek of surprise as she was fireman carried away. Thankfully, the soldier didn’t ask questions. She made it to the elevator as she put the soldier down who starting to shiver in shock.

Sebastian used his Void blade to cut down any of the Drones who got to close, but they were starting to swarm him. “Six, go without me. I’ll catch up.”

Faye’s eyes widened, “That’s not a good idea, Seven!” shouted, her heart starting to pick up just at the thought of being separated.  _ Not again _ . She was about to step out of the elevator, but a blunt knife was thrown at the button and the door shut, sending them down. Faye slammed her fist into the door as it shut, putting a dent in it. “I am going to kill him when I see him.”

Meanwhile, “That actually worked!” Sebastian shouted as he was running away from the Drones, and he was running out of space.

_ “The chances of that working again are infinitesimally small,”  _ Dove said aloud, but hidden from view.

“I’m expecting her to be furious and- shit!” Sebastian screamed as one of the Drones tackled him, knocking him off balance. One stab killed it before others dogpiled him. From the floor, he sprung up and continued to move, taking them in circles. His breathing was heavy. “Dove, which direction is the landing pad?”

_ “East, wh- NO!” _ Dove shouted, but she couldn’t stop him, not when his thoughts were already being put into action. Sebastian ran fast towards the most eastern window. He took Fatebringer and fired at the window, cracking it.

“Prepare for resurrection, Ghost,” he shouted before leaping out of the window and letting gravity do its thing.  _ Always wanted to go skydiving. _

* * *

Faye picked up the knife, a blunt knife. A training knife perhaps? No matter, Faye was furious, upset, and ready to throw down with anyone. Her rational side said it was a wise move, staying behind, so they could get out unscathed. Yet, her developing emotional side hurt, they were separated and she hated it. Faye curbed all of her thoughts and focused on the soldier, who was still shaking.

“What’s going to happen now?” she asked, her voice small.

“We’ll get you back to base, and find out where to go to from there,” Faye said as if it was simple. The soldier nodded but didn’t feel relieved, which given her current situation, understandably so.

The elevator soon opened and Faye helped the soldier up, ensuring she could walk on her own while Faye checked the area again. She noticed glass shards on the floor of the pad, she was still quite far from the Falcon and made the soldier move a little faster until she got on the Falcon and sat down. One of the troopers was really glad to see her and held her close. The Spartan turned to the other Marine on the Falcon, “Anything to report?”

“Negative, ma’am. The bird’s instruments are stabilizing, but not operating at peak effectiveness,” he reported seriously before looking behind her, “Where’s the other one?”

A prickle at the back of her neck made her whip around and look at the door. Then, she took notice of the glass on the ground. Then, she looked up, activated her enhanced zoom. Her heart calmed at the sight. It was Sebastian,  _ free-falling _ . That thought promptly sped her heart up again. The Marine noticed where the Spartan’s attention was and then chuckled, “The Shock Troops might respect him a lot more if he lives to tell this story.”

Faye brushed off the comment before watching him go from spread eagle to a bullet. From her view, she could see him spin around and fire his gun, killing a few Drones. Faye would have taken the shot, but he was far out of her weapons effective range, for now.

Sebastian, all the while, had a smile on his face as he fired back at the Drones, most gave up, but a few stubborn ones did indeed chase him. Sebastian had Dove replace Fatebringer with Hakkon’s Hatchet, so he would have a little more bullets for the swarm. The transition was flawless and bullets were peppered into the pursuing Drones. Just as his gun clicked dry, the last one died. In unison, Dove transmatted the gun away as Sebastian actually threw it out of reach and he jumped once, to halt most of the momentum, or to reset it.

His fall began again, this time, he could actually see what’s below him. He was aiming for the platform. He jumped again to propel himself closer to the platform. He was a lot further away from it than he realized. The Hunter didn’t know if he was going to make it, but he would try. If he doesn’t, then a revive wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. Living on the edge of death though… too painful.

Just as the platform came into full view, he jumped his third and final time to hopefully grasp the platform. He felt like time slowed down as he reached for it and it was so close, but one thing happened. The one thing he was hoping he wouldn’t do.

He missed.


	22. Mixed Bag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, I'm not dead! Sorry for the long gap in my updating. I had my online classes and the fact I legit didn't have the drive to sit down for hours and write means this took longer. Some names may be unfamiliar, just skim chapter two until you find the names. Meanwhile, the other three are my OCs for Destiny. Self-indulgent, probably, but I mentioned the idea of wondering where they are and have they noticed yet. 
> 
> As for the OCs, a revamped story will be coming. Their names are different from the original version and I'm still ironing out the details. Anyway, enjoy the chapter everyone!

Sebastian’s fingers brushed the platform, but he couldn’t get a grip on it, and he was ready to accept death because he was going to take a knife and stab his heart before he hit the ground. A lethal way to do it, also a dark way to do it, but falling and breaking your legs and spine on impact, to then feel all that pain when he next woke up was not something Sebastian wanted to do today.

In that moment of passing by the platform, he closed his eyes and used his free hand to reach for his knife. He’d rather not spend time waiting for the ground to surprise him.

“I am so going to kill you once I get you up here,” a voice said, angry, Sebastian might add. Strange, it felt like he wasn’t falling. “Are you going to help me pull you up, or am I going to rip your arm out of your socket?” The voice was annoyed, judging by its tone.

Sebastian looked up to see the visor of Faye staring back at him, “Holy shit you caught me?”

“I’m seriously about to let you fall unless you grab onto the platform,” she threatened, which sounded more like a promise. So, Sebastian quickly put the knife away and reached up to grab Faye’s other hand and with a single motion, she pulled him up on the platform. Once he did, he laid down and took deep breaths, the adrenaline that was previously in his system dissipated and he was left exhausted. “You and I are going to have some words, Sebastian,” she gritted out, standing over him.

Sebastian awkwardly put his hands over his midsection, defending his more important bits. Plus, he would be pretty sure that they would… Nope. Not going there. Point being, he didn’t want to die like _ that _. “I’m sure sorry doesn’t cut it, does it?”

Faye took the training knife out from one of her pouches on her chest and threw onto his chest, where it bounced on the platform. “Do that again, and I will harm you,” she promised.

“It worked, didn’t it?!” he shouted from the ground as she walked away. He then spoke just loud enough for Dove. “Dove, it worked, didn’t it; all things considered.”

_ “Yet, you aren’t wondering why she was taking it so harshly?” _ Dove questioned.

“Not really, no,” he sat up, shrugging before wincing. His right arm must have been dislocated. With a mental countdown, he pushed it back into place with a small grunt.

Dove huffed, _ “Well, considering how you both feel, and don’t give me the ‘we don’t feel for each other’ argument, I have at least fifteen recent pieces of evidence that say otherwise. Her emotional side is coming in and adding on to how she feels about you, she was only concerned about your well-being. Face it, Sebastian, she likes you, maybe more than you might think.” _

Sebastian stood up, shrugging off the very last bits of adrenaline and sort of limping mixed with walking before he got into the Falcon and just collapsed, gently, on the floor. He didn’t speak but under the helmet, his mouth was opening and closing, trying to come up with some sort of retort for Dove’s last comment. It doesn’t seem that way to him. He knows she likes him, shown by the few moments and kisses they shared, but for all he knows, it could have been just the heat of the moment or their rising tension. Sebastian knows where he stands, and how he feels. He loves her a lot more than he should, considering she could snap him like a twig if she so desired. The Hunter didn’t respond when the Marines tried to talk to him. His hearing vaguely caught ‘how did you do that?’ but not much else. He didn’t have the drive to even speak. Right now, his drive was directed at what was going through her head.

The Spartan, once she made sure he was on the platform, hopped into the pilot seat of the Falcon and made sure all of her systems were functioning. Which they were, _ finally _ . Meanwhile, she informed Kat that they destroyed the second jammer and were en route to the ONI building located on the opposite side of the area. From there, they were going to see if they could get in contact with Colonel Holland for further orders. She thought about her previous actions. All she saw was him falling and that sight made her heart beat a little faster, in anxiousness. When she saw him jump the second time, and she thought he was done for when she remembered that his boots allowed him a third jump. Her body had taken steps forward before her mind caught up with her. From where she was, she could see the flash of fear in his body’s expression when he missed the platform. She wanted to scold him, tell him how stupid it was. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to do so. Faye clenched her fists, so much so, that the material on her hands creaked. She was filled with so much anger at herself, Sebastian, and just the world in general. Her developing feelings are something she has to constantly monitor now. She doesn’t want to expose too much or too little, and with Sebastian, it is much more difficult to be her calm, collected self. Yet, a part of her _ likes _ that. It shows a different side of her.

Without much more thought, Faye started flying the Falcon back to the rest of Noble Team. Kat wanted them back because they were going to contact Holland to receive further orders. However, in the passenger seats of the Falcon, Sebastian got a feeling, and he was paying close attention to it. He wanted to make sure nothing happened. Dove picked up on his alertness but said nothing. The Ghost knew that he would tell her when he was comfortable. There was a certain finesse to being a Ghost. They cannot push their Guardians for information, at least, not all the time. They _ can _ push when they _ know _ they are withholding pertinent information. Dove has been able to pick apart his body language over the years and this feeling he just got was calm compared to others, but he will be much more alert for the next few hours. When he sat up again, all thoughts stopped and his mind only focused on the feeling. If it was about himself, he would be fidgeting. If it about others, he gravitates towards them. If it’s an event yet to happen, he becomes overly cautious.

Dove flicked their link to make him refocus on the matters at hand and much to her surprise, he did. His posture slacked again before he grabbed a knife and started to twirl it mindlessly. The skies were still clear and they were for as far as he can see, minus the scuffles going on way back, it doesn’t seem like it should be this clear, but Sebastian will take the break that he can get. He wondered what would have happened if Faye didn’t catch him. The thoughts were dark, but they were true.

Still, he said nothing more as they arrived at the ONI building. Mostly evacuated, but still, the fact that Agent Rice was so interested in him, unnerved him to no end. However, he just wanted to be left alone and help the Spartans fight this war. Then _ maybe _ find a way home. The thought still comes to mind, but the more he stays here, the more he doesn’t want to leave. Too bad interdimensional travel hasn’t been proven, right? _ Still doesn’t excuse the small guilt I have _. Sebastian was going to elaborate on his thoughts, but the sound of Faye’s voice telling them that they will be landing soon made his eyes refocus on the landing platform. He asked Dove to give him Hakkon’s again and when it landed in his hands, the magazines on his chest shifted to accommodate. Noticing it was still empty, he slapped a fresh magazine into it before pulling the release, priming a round. Sebastian flicked the safety on and put it on his sling. The knife he was twirling went back into the sheath as the Falcon landed. As soon as it did, he jumped out and scanned the horizon, a habitual check whenever he went on patrol. It gave him comfort knowing that the habit still stuck.

Once he deemed it safe, he took steps backward inside. Faye noticed his motions and rolled her eyes under her helmet. When they were out of sight of the Falcon, she dragged him and pushed him against the wall. This sent flashes of the patrol a while back when he first met the Elites. She sneered in his face, “_ Never _ pull that stunt again, do you hear me? What would you have done if I missed?”

Sebastian didn’t make any moves but spoke softly, “Then I would have killed myself before I hit the ground.” Faye recoiled in slight shock at his blunt answer. Sebastian took that as his cue to continue, “Since you never felt it before, I will explain. Dying and coming back to life has its drawbacks. Obviously seeing people you knew grow old and die is one thing, but having an aftershock of pain even after you die just hurts. An example I have is something that actually happened. Back in my world, I fought a Fallen Baron, and it was a bloody fight, one that I didn’t want, but it happened. My point is that they partially crushed my ribs and in my delirious state, I fell out the window, five stories up and hit the ground, died on impact.” His helmet turned away from her visor. “When Dove revived me, I screamed in pure agony. The pain carried over, my ribs were fine, my spine was fixed, but the phantom pain lingered. If you missed, I was going to do exactly what I said I was going to do: stab myself in the heart. Can’t feel pain if I’m already dead,” he ranted.

“But _ why? _” Faye’s voice lowered, losing all hostility.

“Believe it or not, Guardians _ do _ have a pain tolerance. Mine’s been pushed a few times already. I just know it is not the last. As for why? Most Guardians have developed masochist-like kinks,” he said casually before walking by. They had business to attend to.

* * *

“This used to be the crown jewel. Not anymore,” Jun said lowering his binoculars before turning to see both Six and Seven close by each other. “You both made it, good.”

Sebastian was laying down on a counter twirling a Light knife, a Solar knife. It did give off a source of light, but the natural light from outside did the job too. Emile commented, “Heard you jumped off a building, Seven.”

“I got to experience Bonzai skydiving, without the parachute,” he chuckled.

“Who caught you?” Emile questioned.

Sebastian pointed his finger right at Faye, “She did, and if she didn’t, I had a backup plan.” He continued to twirl the Light knife, even tossing it in the air to then catch it by the ring at the hilt. The flames licked his hand but did not burn.

“What was your plan?” This time, Jun asked.

He stopped twirling the knife before locking eyes with the sniper, “Die.”

Kat looked at him, then at Faye to see her fists clenched, but she was staring out the window, not even looking at him. Noble Two stopped what she was doing and tapped Faye on the shoulder, “Trouble in paradise, sister?” Faye didn’t respond. So Kat continued, “Did he actually jump from the penthouse?”

“Yep,” she said. “He almost missed the platform. Correction: he _ did _miss the platform. I just barely caught him.”

“I see,” and she left, thankfully understanding that she wasn’t going to get much more out of her. She’ll tell her what she needs to know. Unlike when she told Kat that she kissed Sebastian, that was all her.

Sebastian continued to throw the knife and paid no attention to anyone else, except he would occasionally glance at Faye. He feels like he should apologize, but he doesn’t feel like he should be the one. What he did allowed them to get out unscathed.

Faye meanwhile took Jorge’s dog tags out and held them for everyone to see. Emile saw them, and Faye felt his gaze. “Keep ‘em. He gave them to you. I’ll honor him my own way.”

“Jorge always said he’d never leave Reach,” Jun said wistfully, putting his binoculars up to his eyes again.

Carter spoke now, “Jorge gave his life thinking he’d just saved the planet. You should all be so proud.” Was that sarcasm? Sebastian said nothing. He let him speak to the team. No need to bring up any unnecessary drama. “Kat, any luck with getting through to Holland?”

“It takes time, and with the limited amount of equipment I have, you’ll be lucky to get anywhere with this. It’s got shrapnel everywhere. You never answered my question, Commander.”

“You want to know if we’re losing?” Carter asked over his shoulder.

Kat turned her upper half towards him, “I _ know _ we’re losing. I want to know if we _ lost _. Also, the chances that I can even get to Holland are- Never mind,” she puts an earpiece over her shoulder, “Keep it brief.”

Sebastian watched him walk away before swinging himself upright, letting the knife fade into the air. His body was now tense and as if on cue, Jun spoke, “Got Covenant movement, retreating. They seem to be in a hurry.”

Emile spoke, “How often do you see Covenant retreat for no reason?” Sebastian’s feeling slowly crept up his spine as his eyes landed on Kat.

“Radiation flare! Forty million roentgens,” she announced looking at a datapad.

Carter turned around, dropping the earpiece, “Just lost all comms, what happened?”

Faye supplied the answer, “The atomic excitement trashed all signals. As for where it is… close.”

“How cl-” Carter didn’t finish his question as the window was smashed.

“That close!” Faye shouted.

All of Noble Team ran for the elevators. Carter, Jun, and Emile went into one elevator. Kat, Sebastian, and Faye went into the other one. Actually, Faye pushed Sebastian into the elevator, making sure he doesn’t pull anything. Once they were all into the lift, Kat tried to push the button, missed before hitting it on the second time. “First glassing? Me too,”

“Since I’ve never heard the term ‘glassing’ before, yes, this is my first glassing,” Sebastian said curtly, his eyes on Kat. His feeling was burning now.

“Best option is a bunker on sublevel two, ninety meters north. Did we get orders from Holland?” Kat asked, typing on her datapad.

_ “We’re being redeployed to Sword Base,” _ he responded, which was setting off all sorts of red flags for Sebastian.

_ “Sword?! Covenant _ own _ it now, Commander! What do they need us for?” _ Jun shouted.

Carter responded, _ “Torch and burn. He wants us to prevent Dr. Halsey’s excavation data from falling into enemy hands.” _

The elevators stopped and the three Male Spartans exited and started moving. Then, the ladies and Sebastian’s opened and started moving. Kat spoke, “If it hasn’t already.”

“Maybe, but the rumor is that the Covenant are still hunting for something,” Carter supplied.

“What does he get for calling off a Demolition On-” her words were cut off as Covenant Needle round was fired. Faye stopped and leveled her weapon at the hole in the roof and started firing at the Phantom above.

When it flew away, Faye saw Kat getting up, seemingly alright. That meant… _ no. _ Faye saw the blood leaking from Sebastian. “Dove? Is he?”

A low growl made her pause. Sebastian’s arms moved and he hoisted himself on one arm while the other covered his the right side of his neck. His blood was flowing in between his fingers and on the front of his armor. Meanwhile, Sebastian was bleeding out and he was choking on his own blood. Not much he could do about it, given where the shot hit him. Then again, he’ll come back, but on the bright side, his feeling went away which meant crisis averted.

That was when he blacked out and his body slacked.

Kat turned him over to see the needle round that was meant for her. Problem was, it was lodged into his neck, visible. Both ends were pointed, sharp, very easy for it to cut the skin. “Come on, Kat!” Emile said.

Kat picked him up and started dragging him. Faye ran out and helped her. What Faye knew was that he dove for her and now he was out of it. Once they got into the bunker, they set Sebastian down, and that was when they noticed the needle in his neck. “Dove, what happened?”

_ “Well, he just saved Noble Two, which you should be thankful for, but I require your assistance. You need to pull the needle out of his neck, quickly.” _

“Is he alive? A pulse?” Faye asked, reaching for the needle.

_ “He’s barely alive, and pulling it out will kill him. Before you stop, you have to realize that it shredded his superior vena cava vein, which is the jugular vein, meaning no matter what happens h-” _

“He’ll die.”

_ “Correct, now please, pull out the needle, swiftly,” _ Dove commanded. Then, she appeared and looked directly at Faye’s visor. “Do it, the more you wait, the more he suffers in agony because I’m still detecting a weak pulse and it’s getting weaker by the second. So please, put him out of his misery. I hate seeing my Guardian in pain, and he is still in pain because of his time on the Covenant flagship.” Without much else being said, the only thing that was heard was the sound of the needle slicing flesh and his blood pooling on the floor.

“Guardian down.”

* * *

“Did you have to wait so long? That shit really hurt,” Sebastian whined as he clutched his neck where the needle impacted his skin. It was like an itch he couldn’t scratch. It wasn’t pleasant either, he was somewhat conscious when he was shot, and all he could hear was incoherent mumblings before his world ceased to exist. He was currently in a small firebase right before Sword Base, where Noble would restock and rearm before heading out to their torch and burn op.

“I should be mad at you for that stunt,” Dove said idly, resting on her Guardian’s chest.

“That _ stunt _ saved Kat’s life. I should be getting a medal, maybe Shaxx has one for this, unlike when obtaining a fifty elimination streak,” Sebastian breathed out.

A hand gripped his shoulder and his hand covered it before they spoke, “Relax, Seb, no need to kill me, you already saved me once.” _ Kat. _

Kat walked around him and sat across from him. Sebastian seemed to pause before he spoke, “Hope you aren’t here to put another round through my neck. Actually, I hope Faye doesn’t come in here because then she actually _ would _ shoot me.”

Kat chuckled darkly, “I’ll be sure to relay that to her.”

Sebastian’s fear rose, raising his arms in a panicked manner, “Now now, let’s not be hasty.”

“Relax, Seb. I came to say thank you for saving my life. From what the rest of the team could gather, that needle round was aiming for my head. Ironic, isn’t it? The brains of Noble taken out by a headshot?”

Sebastian put his arms down and breathed a very audible sigh of relief. “The reason I knew something was off was because of a feeling I got. It got worse and flared up only around you. So, I acted purely on instinct.”

“Either way, I’m alive, thanks to you,” Kat smirked before she stood up and left the room.

Sebastian laid back and sighed. Right now, he wasn’t worried about anything else, he had questions on his mind, going back to the spark he picked up from the Traveler’s boost. “Dove, could you give me a few minutes… alone?”

“Forgive me for asking, but why?” Dove narrowed her optic at her Guardian. Understanding passed through her core and she left without another word.

Before he began, “Dove, I know you’re still here, you can’t do that either.” Sebastian knows she wants answers, but a piece of him doesn’t want her too, for reasons beyond him.

When he felt that he was truly alone, he focused on the spark inside him, his hands hovering above his chest. His body tense, sweating, and it looks like he was about to pass out. With just sheer will keeping him conscious, he forced the spark out through his chest, making the room appear brighter than ever before. However, when the spark appeared in his hand, and he held out in front of him, it balanced in the air before him. “What are you?” he whispered, barely audible to himself.

It shook in his hands, as it tried to respond, but it didn’t make any sense. Why does it feel so _ familiar? _ Something like this shouldn’t feel this familiar, then again, it came from the Traveler. In Sebastian’s eyes, it is a literal ball of light. Not an annoying light, something akin to a lightbulb, bright, but not blindingly so. It seemed to reach out to him like it wanted to be with him. Well, it _ was _ residing inside his chest. Still, questions were rising in his mind, but he didn’t get the chance as the door opened. The spark in his hands became much more animated in its movements. Whoever was there, it seemed to like them, much more than it thought it would. “Sebastian?” he forced the spark back into its chest, giving it silent reassurance that it would appear again. Strangely enough, that moment didn’t feel like him, but much more like a father talking to his child.

He shook it off as he turned around, his helmet meeting the golden visor that Sebastian has grown to like. “Hey, what’s going on?” his voice sounded exhausted.

Faye crossed her arms as she stepped inside, “Why do you sound so tired?”

“Remember that spark?” Sebastian said before he could stop himself. Then again, it seemed like he could talk about it with her freely. So, why can’t he talk about it to Dove?

“The one that shot out of you and healed my throat? Yes, I remember. What now?” Faye said with skepticism.

“Well, that’s the thing. I can tell _ you _, but not my own Ghost. Do you have an explanation for that one?” Sebastian said, still somewhat exhausted.

Faye took notice of his posture and was immediately concerned, “Well… actually no… I don’t, but you need to rest. I already can see that you don’t sleep enough as it is. So, do me this favor and relax, and get Dove back in her to check over you. She made it very clear out in the hallway that she was worried.”

“Aww, the Spartan does care,” Sebastian teased deliriously. The aftermath of him summoning the spark was taking its toll. “At least, I know deep down you care,” he whispered before sluggishly standing up to immediately collapse on the bed.

At that very moment, before Faye could even speak, Dove came into the room scanning Sebastian. Tense moments passed, “He just went under an intense amount of stress. What did you say?” Dove’s optic was starting to turn red, staring right into Faye’s visor.

Faye stopped, this was the first time Dove got truly mad at her, so it was an unwelcome shock. “I didn’t say much to him, but he was talking about the s-” as if her mouth was forced shut, her sentence faltered. Faye was surprised now. “He was talking about the thing that healed my neck.”

Dove’s optic went back to blue, “I don’t know what you are talking about. Just tell me what happened.”

“I have the video file from moments ago, want to-” before Faye finished her sentence, Dove pulled the file from Faye’s armor and played it aloud. While Faye could hear every word perfectly, Dove could not.

“Ugh, why can’t I hear it or see it?” Dove complained. “I need to know what is going on so I can help him.”

“Well, he exerted himself too much and is now tired because of it, maybe a little dehydrated and malnourished,” Faye said, making a medical observation.

Dove’s shell bristled, “No, the Light can support Guardians indefinitely, but having solid food is something that Guardians try to get into the habit of, at least, those that can. Exos usually are the ones who rely on Light.”

“Will he be alright?” Faye asked.

Dove nodded before scanning him once more, “Okay, he’s dreaming. Do you love him?”

The question caught her so off guard, the Spartan took a giant step back. Faye honestly didn’t think Dove could be so blunt. She always took her as more of a motherly type. Then again, this tendency is what Faye should have expected. Just, not now. “I need an answer, Faye, and don’t lie to me, because I can find out if you are.”

Faye finally got her voice back, “W-Why do you want to know?”

“Because I need to know if you plan on breaking his heart after all this time,” Dove said with such determination, it made it sound like a fact. “Or need I remind you what happened?” Faye easily picked up the idle threat.

“Didn’t know a Ghost can threaten,” Faye deflected.

“We don’t threaten, we promise,” Dove replied, still awaiting an answer from the woman. Dove wouldn’t stop until she got one.

“I do.”

Just like that, Dove dropped her gaze and went back to her Guardian and rested on the closest surface she could. “That will be all, Faye. Thank you.”

However, when Faye turned to leave, it felt weird; like something was trying to keep her there. With each step that she took away from him, it felt like the walls around her were closing in. This gave her pause. She turned back around to feel something calling to her, but she ignored it and chose to walk out of the room. She needed to be elsewhere to process what she just admitted aloud.

* * *

_ Sebastian woke to feel all sorts of stiffness in his bones. “Ugh, I fell asleep in my armor again, didn’t I?” His eyes remained shut, but he managed to push himself up. Not that he really cared, but as soon as he opened his eyes, something felt wrong. “Dove?” _

_ Normally, he would have received a response, even just by calling her name, but when he received none that was when he realized where he was. The scenery around him changed right before his eyes. Before he was in his room on base and then he was on an unfamiliar battlefield, full of Covenant and UNSC troops. Explosions were going off left and right, but no sounds were heard, his ears weren’t ringing; so it either meant he was deaf, or the ringing hasn’t stopped. He kept looking around, his breathing picked up. His eyes were searching for her. _

_ His eyes saw her fighting off three Elites. Sebastian started moving and before he even took four steps, she was knocked down. Yet, she still kept fighting. Every step closer felt slower and slower until stopped as he watched as one of them stabbed her through the chest. Suddenly, they all turned towards him with a predatory look and charged him. _

Sebastian woke in a panic, his breathing was out of control, the blood felt like it was about to pour out of his ears. All these moments, felt _ real _. Something bumped into his shoulder and he blinked a few times to see that he was still in the room, Dove hovering close by, her shell knitted in concern for her Guardian. Without words, he gently grabbed her shell and held her close. He didn’t speak, not that he couldn’t, but he didn’t want to. He needed to process his dream if he can call it that. Right now, he just needed the comfort of his Ghost, and maybe a certain Spartan, but he would never admit that to her face.

Dove picked up on those thoughts and let out a small Ghost chuckle, knowing her Guardian was blissfully ignorant to the conversation that just recently took place. The Ghost sent waves of Light through him and let him relax on his own from there. She recorded his heart rate and saw it was at levels one would have in an intense or prolonged fight. Ghosts normally would know what was happening since Ghosts and Guardians are soul-bound, but this was something she would have to ask about later. For now, Sebastian needed some comfort and Dove would happily provide it.

Even while laying down, trying to relax, Sebastian wondered what his Mentor’s fireteam was doing. Something tells him that if he ever goes back to his world, he might just receive the biggest scolding of his immortal life.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Tower, a Hunter just returned from patrol on the Moon, along with a Warlock and Titan. The trio landed with each one having a different facial expression. All three of them were Awoken, a race of people spawned from the Collapse. “It just doesn’t make sense, Verra. How could he have just disappeared like that? He could have gone anywhere, but…”

A hand landed on the Hunter’s shoulder, dark yellow eyes meeting light blue ones, “You know he wouldn’t leave without leaving a note, right?”

“Of course he wouldn’t Senea, but that still makes me wonder what happened. I searched his apartment, there was _ no _ note. He just left without a trace,” the Hunter said to his younger sister.

“Kaz, you know he wouldn’t do that to us, considering…” Verra, the Titan, comforted her husband, wrapping an arm over his shoulders.

“Just how does Sebastian disappear for months, and we just _ now _ notice? I accepted a month for patrol, but now? I can’t accept it anymore,” he said pulling them along to a more secluded area.

A pair of voices brought them out of their conversation, “Are you looking for Hunter Sebastian?”

Kaz, Senea, and Verra looked over to another Warlock and Titan. The Warlock was around Senea’s height of 5’7” while the Titan was around 6’4”. “We last saw him when we were talking about-” the Warlock stopped.

Kaz gritted his teeth, “Spit it out…” his Light flaring in his eyes, giving her a dangerous look.

“We were talking about the increased Vex activity on Mercury! Myself and Del received an encrypted message that someone would look into it. Ikora’s Hidden haven’t done anything about it so it wasn’t one of them and Del remembers seeing him,” the Warlock said, nervously. “Uhm, the name’s Nina.” Considering they were standing in front of one of the rarest types of Guardians of all time, they should be nervous.

“Wait, you mean the Vex activity that surged then just suddenly stopped?” Senea asked, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of an answer that has eluded her.

The Titan, Del, answered, his voice soft-spoken, “That’s it. I made the assumption, foolhardy as it was, that he wouldn’t dare go near it.”

Kaz sighed, “That was a mistake. He was the one who ran through the Hellmouth on a dare. Damn it, Sebastian, you dumbass. Meza, lock for transmat. We need to investigate.”

“The Vanguard won’t let you,” Nina said.

Kaz chuckled, “They can try, but Cayde knows I care for Hunters just as much as he does. He’ll let this one slide.”

Del chuckled along with him, “With how many stories that Cayde has of you, I don’t doubt that claim. Is it true you saved him from a Cabal Colossus all those years ago?”

Kaz laughed, “Yeah, that’s true, but it depends on how much he exaggerated it.”

Senea grabbed him by the arm, “Come on brother, we have a pupil to save!” her voice carried her giddiness. Verra shook her head.

Verra backed up, “Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse us, when we find him, he’ll wish he never left.”

Del had to sate his curiosity, “What are you going to do when you find him?” The following response made Del shover and left Nina lost.

“Make him wish he never left,” she said, cracking her knuckles.


	23. Back into the Fray

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** IMPORTANT NOTE AT BOTTOM! PLEASE READ! **

Not much was really said when Noble Team deployed to Sword Base. Since their last visit, the Covenant have set up AA Guns on the western cliff edge that needed to be taken out. Add to the fact that the water level has risen around two feet since the last time that they were there, Sebastian was bound to get his feet wet, one way or another. The ODSTs that agreed to tag along were waiting on a small cliff edge. Their target was five hundred meters due east. So they would have to go in one giant circle to achieve their objectives. Sebastian stopped to see Faye behind him, while not much was said, the subtle nod he received meant she was good. _At least_ _as good as can be, better than he was._

His mind couldn’t shake off that dream. It made him want to protect her, at all costs. It also came as a surprise that it felt like another piece of him was pulling towards her. While he had a feeling of what it was, he didn’t want to make any… hasty decisions. Still, Sebastian’s sleep schedule took a hit in the process. He stayed up later, he didn’t sleep as much, and he didn’t eat. In the days leading up to this, he had this ghostly complexion, making him look paler than usual.

Faye wanted to inquire but wondered if that was what was best and normally, she _ knew _ what was best, but this time, she was uncertain. Not once in her career, has Faye ever been uncertain. She has to figure this all out, and soon too. She may not have another chance.

“Seven.”

The person in question stopped and turned, weapon at ease, “Yeah, Six?”

However, the Spartan paused, unsure of what she wanted to say. Finally, she spoke, “Don’t die on me, alright?”

The Guardian paused, turning more towards her, “I should be saying that to you, Six. At least I can come back. On the bright side, the casualty counts might have to have a number and a half.” Sebastian made the joke because he technically was and is an undead soldier brought back by some higher power, _ minor details. _

Faye sobered up, “Don’t joke about that.”

“Last I checked, that was how I worked; making jokes about morbid things because being a resurrected person turned Light-bearing killing machine is no laughing matter,” Sebastian deadpanned. A moment passed, “I await your orders, Six.” Then, he jumped off the hillside, meeting with the rest of the team for the expedition. The rest of Noble was elsewhere, doing their part.

Faye just shook her head and followed, jumping down a few seconds later. When Faye walked forward, she waved them on, “Weapons free.” The Covenant didn’t see it coming.

* * *

Okay, they _ kinda _ saw it coming. Sebastian took a couple of needle rounds in the arm, saving an ODST from taking one to the head before he blasted the head off the Jackal responsible. Once the fight was over, he pulled the needles out and Dove healed him. They continued along, finding a Scorpion tank along the way.

“As much as I want to drive this prehistoric beast you call a Scorpion, I’ll let you have this one, Six,” Sebastian said, gaining a few curious head tilts from the shock troopers. The female Spartan hopped into the tank and it roared to life. Little did they know, Sebastian has never seen a tank in his life. It was only thanks to his ever-faithful companion that he knew what it was. Thankfully, the shock troopers, nor the Spartan commented. “Dove? What’s our heading and should we expect anything?” Sebastian asked, holding his hand out, palm up, and the Ghost appeared.

“Honestly, you should expect everything and anything, but to actually answer you Guardian; our heading is on schedule. The AA guns will be in visible range after these few turns, exactly three hundred and fifty-three point four meters, and closing. The weather is clear skies with high chances of a firefight. The current temperature is twenty-one degrees Celsius.” Dove said, adding the joke at the end to see if she could get him to laugh.

“In actual layman’s terms, Dove?” Sebastian asked, specifically about the temperature.

“Seventy degrees, Guardian,” Dove rolled her eye. 

“Well, it seems I’ll have to check your core, I swear I turned off the joking protocols before we started,” Sebastian quipped in response. “Thank you, Dove,” he whispered as an afterthought. He knew what his Ghost was trying to do and he was appreciative of her. Always has been and always will be.

_ “Well, Seven, if you’re done yapping your trap, why don’t you catch up with us?” _ Faye’s voice came through with hints of amusement laced in.

“Sparrow?” Dove asked.

“Sparrow,” Sebastian confirmed.

The sound of the Sparrow’s engines were like a high-pitched humming as it zoomed past the Scorpion tank. The ODSTs were watching this mysterious entity fly by, doing little tricks. One of them swore he did five flips before landing. Of course, Sebastian did this all behind the tank, in case Faye needed to fire the main cannon. Sebastian may be a Guardian, but even he wouldn’t survive that. Just as Sebastian was raring to go with a new trick, the sound of plasma energy gave him pause.

It seemed like they found the AA guns. Once Sebastian rounded the corner, he hopped off his Sparrow and it disappeared a second later, drawing more confused looks. “I’m enjoying the looks on your faces, even if I can’t see ‘em,” Sebastian chuckled.

One started, “How are you so…”

“Nonchalant?” another finished.

“Have you ever killed a God?” Sebastian asked out of the blue. When he got no response, he continued, “Try killing one of the darkest Gods imaginable, one who slaughtered a great many of my friends, the numbers were never confirmed, but it was over ten thousand Guardians, people like me. That was a low point for Humanity. Right now, everything seems… and not to be disrespectful… but trivial to me. I understand what it’s like to fight for a world dying before your eyes. More than you can ever imagine.” When no one spoke, even Faye was hesitant in the driver seat of the Scorpion. “Moving on, ready to kill some Covenant?”

The ODSTs cheered ‘oorah’, but were left confused. With that being said, Sebastian _ did _ just give them a very rundown version on a portion of his Humanity’s history. While he was thankful that he didn’t have to live through it. He did know people who did, and they came out different from when they went in. Whatever happened during that period of time, Sebastian doesn’t know, and the rational side of him doesn’t want to know either. However, the curious side of him wants to dredge up the past and explore the paths that lay before him. Sebastian would have continued to be lost in thought except for the fact that-

**BOOM!**

Faye decided to let the Covenant know they were knocking on the door.

* * *

Sebastian entered the first AA gun and looked at the design. He did confirm that it was the same as it was on the previous mission. So, with a few shots here and a few shots there, he exposed the center of the gun before letting a grenade loose and booking it like hell.

A mere fifteen seconds later, he turned to see his handiwork. It was no mere explosion. It was a massive explosion, watching the violet flames contrast the dreary red sky. Sebastian wanted to see it again. So, with his favorite little sword in hand, he used his newly acquired Nightstalker abilities and let the Void do the work. It was like an out of body experience for the Guardian. Hunters who have had the Void could never truly explain what they felt. Many have reported that they just feel the same as the Void’s description; blank, emotionless. However, Sebastian felt much more than that. It was like he could detect everything around him, raising his awareness by an exponential amount.

Once he maneuvered his way towards the next AA gun, he felt his emotions shift. This was what the Hunters would describe. He appeared in front of a few Grunts and an Elite Ultra. The sword was already in Sebastian’s hand and he was already going through the motions. The Grunts were dead in seconds, and the Elite wasn’t even a challenge. Even after sabotaging the core, Sebastian just casually walked out of the radius. When it went off, his cloak fluttered in the explosion. “You do realize you just did the ‘Cool guys don’t look at explosions’ thing?” Dove said aloud.

Seeming to be back to normal, “Uhm, okay? I guess, did it at least look cool?”

“If you call a live satellite image ‘cool’, then yes, Guardian,” Dove replied cheekily, showing the image. Sebastian had to admit it _ did _ look pretty damn cool. However, that wasn’t what he had in mind. He was more concerned about what the hell just happened. Something for a later day.

“I’m going to need to look into this more,” Sebastian mumbled. “What about the entourage?”

“Well, Faye is silently chuckling to herself, shooting Banshees out of the sky.” **BOOM! ** “As you can hear. The shock troopers are telling a story to pass the time. However, even through the-” **BOOM! **“-commotion, she is very worried about you. More than she lets on. Speaking of, aren’t you going to admit to her how you feel?” Dove asked, shell scrunching and expanding.

“Didn’t we-” **BOOM! **“-already have this discussion? You already know how I feel about-”

“Feel about what?” One of the ODSTs asked, having finally caught up with the Guardian. Sebastian just shrugged before coming up with a vague reason about the Covenant. Dove noted the evasion and did not fail to mark his increased heart rate. If Dove could be vulgar, then she would suggest that those two do the do. However, most of her programs prohibit her from speaking those thoughts aloud. It doesn’t prohibit, however, for her to _ think _ those thoughts.

“While you two are done chatting, Noble Two needs us to get to the entrance of Sword Base. Seven, you up for scouting?” the Spartan said from the open hatch of the tank. She climbed out just enough to see the gold visor peering out.

With a wave, Sebastian had Dove pull up his Sparrow once more before blasting off with ‘that ridiculous horn’ of his. Sebastian may be a joking man most of the time, part-time serious, and some of the time closed off, but when it comes to scouting, he takes it one hundred percent seriously… _ ninety-five percent of the time. _

Sebastian roared around the corner to be met with a couple of Ghosts and two squads of grunts. “Heavy machine gun or missiles?”

_ “Mix it up, try the heavy machine guns,” _ Dove’s disembodied voice said. With a few button presses, two twin-barrel machine guns appeared and Sebastian was going to have a fun time showing off his new toys.

“Link a video feed back to Faye for me, please?” Sebastian asked over the roar of the bullet fest.

_ “Certainly, Guardian.” _

* * *

A video feed popped up on Faye’s visor, and she was surprised that she was getting it. It showed Sebastian riding around on that ‘Sparrow’ of his and to her knowledge, or at least from what she could guess, he added those guns. They were definitely not in the original design. Faye smirked, of course, he would trick out anything he could get his hands on. In the cockpit of the tank, Faye wondered when she should tell him. The internal conflict within her was something she never knew she could have. These _ feelings _ are brand new, newer than an infant, at least to the Spartan. The video feed was a great distraction for Faye. Had it not been there, she probably would have been absorbed in her thoughts.

_ “Alright, scouting done, two Ghosts and about a baker’s dozen of Grunts down. There are turret placements and what seems to be something called a ‘Covenant Revenant’” _ an explosion rocked the feed, _ “Who just started shooting me, and it doesn’t know who it just messed with.” _

“Don’t do anything stupid, Seven,” Faye chided over the comm.

_ “Me? Do something stupid?” _ The sound of Sebastian’s Golden Gun activated, _ “Never. Now, which one of these Covenant wants to die first?” _

“Ma’am?”

Faye turned to the leader of the ODST squad, “Yes, Staff Sergeant?”

“Where the hell did you find him?” the Staff Sergeant asked.

Faye looked away, then to the feed, and then back again, “Honestly, he found us.”

_ “Okay, things are dead, the area’s clear, and oh, I’m fine in case anyone was wondering,” _ Sebastian’s voice drifted through the comms. _ “That means to get your asses up here before I go inside by myself and introduce them to my guns. I want to share the glory.” _

“You better wait, Seven, because if you don’t, you won’t like it,” Faye said in her sternest voice.

_ “Is that a challenge, Six?” _ Sebastian teased.

“Just hold up by the door and wait for us, over?” Whether Faye wanted to admit it or not, she was just a _ tad _ flustered as her mind went to the lewd side of things. Never happened, nope, not at all.

The tank rolled on its treads forwards and the shock troopers whistled at the destruction, “He really went off, didn’t he?”

“Of course, someone like that seems like they know a thing or two,” another commented. They didn’t know how right they were. It was so close, yet so far from the truth, it almost made the Spartan laugh.

Once the tank rolled around the corner, Faye was greeted with Sebastian on a Sparrow, twirling a knife, looking at a lone Grunt who was too scared to even move. Once the tank ground to a halt, Sebastian turned, “Hey you five.”

“Why haven’t you killed it yet?” the Staff Sergeant asked the Guardian. Normally, he would have, but it reminded Sebastian of a lone Fallen he let go a long time ago. It was defenseless, so he paused.

“Reminds me of something from my past. What you do now depends on how you feel. Six, anything else I need to scout?” the teasing was now gone from his voice, but the seriousness remained. While Faye was wrapping her head around the situation, Sebastian picked up an orb off the ground and held it up for all to see.

“What is that, Seven?” Faye asked the Guardian.

Sebastian didn’t respond for a few moments, as if entranced by it. “I must have overcharged the super... Hmm.” A few moments of staring at it before Sebastian crushed it in his hand and absorbed it into his body; resulting in a shimmer flowing over his body.

“Seven, answer the question; what was that?” Faye was starting to lose her patience.

“Hmm, oh what? Sorry,” Sebastian grumbled before walking past the still shivering Grunt and picked up another orb. “We call this an Orb of Light, here,” Sebastian said before tossing it to Faye.

She caught it with ease, and it felt like a ball, but it also wasn’t. “What does it do?”

“Squeeze it, like you sometimes want to do to me when I get on your nerves,” Sebastian chuckled.

Faye glared at him, which stopped his chuckling before she did as he instructed. The orb disappeared and it made her body shimmer as well. “So, what happens now?”

“Check your power systems,” Sebastian suggested. “Dove has a read of the exact number, in case you can’t actually read it.”

“Are you sure about that?” Faye asked before opening her suit systems to find her power output was constantly peaking. “What in the?”

_ “Your power output is at five hundred and thirty-seven percent. With that orb, it fills you with Light, which is what allows my Guardian to use his abilities. The orbs are a result of the Light doing its job. Think of it as a Reward,” _ Dove said, explaining the question that the Spartan likely had.

“It is less effective if I use a lot more in a short amount of time. I guess you could say the potency has diminishing returns. Point being, you can now use one of the upgrades in your suit,” Sebastian pointed out.

“One of?” Faye mumbled.

“Another time. I seem to be boring the shocks,” Sebastian turned to them, “Did you understand any of that? Or did you-” Sebastian stopped before seeing the Grunt that was left alive, now dead. “Figured as much, Xenophobes.”

“When they came to your colony and destroyed pretty much everything you know and love, it is hard for them to rid themselves of the habit, Sebastian,” Faye whispered to him, out of earshot.

“Yeah? Try four… no five… actually six different species of aliens, all on different sides, all after the one thing that makes us… well, us. The Traveler. They all wanted it for their own purposes, purposes of malicious intent, which is why the Ghosts were created. I could go on and on about my history, but we _ are _ on mission, aren’t we?” Sebastian explained/asked. “I could just as easily have the same thing, but after a few decades, you become desensitized to the world around you. Thankfully, my mentor never let that happen. Pretty sure he would have his wife take care of me after that,” Sebastian shuddered.

Faye gave him a small head tilt, “Was she that bad?”

“Put it this way, you make her mad, she’s you but fifteen hundred times worse. Might have died a few times…” Sebastian admitted, embarrassed.

Faye found that when he mentioned ‘died’ she didn’t flinch as much. Maybe she has started to learn how Sebastian operates, “I’d like to see if I could meet her one day then.”

Sebastian groaned, “Oh don’t get me started. I’m pretty sure she’d crush you in a hug.”

“That or you just have weak bones, didn’t drink enough milk during your lifetime?” Faye teased.

Sebastian gaped at her, “Did you just- Dove, did she just make a joke? Holy shit!”

_ “It would appear that the Spartan does indeed have a sense of humor,” _ Dove mentioned, awestruck if the tone of her voice was anything to go by. Faye rolled her eyes, underneath the helmet before walking past Sebastian, beckoning the others to follow.

Off to the side, “Dove, she would not last with my mentor’s sister, she would spoil her. She would absolutely spoil the one who has stolen my heart.”

_ “You’re telling me, many of the Ghosts would wonder how she did it.” _ Sebastian glared at the spot where his Ghost would be. _ “You do realize you were the Guardian that was considered the True Loner, right? After Rosa, you pretty much shut down, for the most part, pushing everyone away. So, yes they would want to know the woman who thawed your heart.” _

“I should be mad you’re right, but I don’t have a good retort, so you win this round, Dove,” Sebastian whispered, looking right at Faye. 

Wordlessly, Sebastian past Faye and readied his weapons they entered Sword Base. The ODSTs stayed back, “Sorry Lieutenant, we got other orders. Good luck, Spartan.” With a nod from the Spartan, they departed.

“Ready to go?” Faye asked Sebastian.

The latter scoffed, “When am I not? Just as long as I don’t see any other ONI personnel inside, then we _ should _ be fine.”

Entering the base, there were shots close by. Plasma and UNSC, judging by the frequency. Since Faye has not been in contact with her team, she didn’t know where they were and proceeded with caution. Sebastian threw most caution to the wind and aimed for high ground.

On the high ground, Sebastian took note of the few Elites still fighting and he caught a little bit of a very recognizable armor set. “Faye, they are alive, move on up,” he said into his comm. “Dove, sniper please?”

The sniper appeared in his hands, doing a quick check, before loading a fresh magazine into it, pulling the bolt back and locking it into place. Sebastian aimed for the closest Elite hiding behind cover. “Whistle track three, if you would please.” The sound of a high pitched whistle rang out, making the Elite turn towards the noise. Sebastian thought it hilarious that their jaws opened in shock before he opened fire.

As soon as the first one was done, he shifted to the next target, who promptly ate a sniper shot that was not of Sebastian’s doing. Once he sat up, putting the sniper on a sling, just in case, he hopped down, meeting up with the rest of Noble Team. Sebastian nodded to Kat and Emile while giving Carter a two-finger salute to greet him. Jun was in the back, flashing the scope. Without much being said, Faye walked by, not greeting them, but waited for the order. Sebastian waited for Jun and the scout bumped shoulders with the Guardian. Sebastian knew enough military signs to know that meant ‘good shot’ or ‘don’t steal my kills’. Either one still made Sebastian shrug before following the rest of the Spartans.

* * *

Sebastian held Hatchet in one hand, Her Supremacy on a sling, and twirled a knife in his off-hand. Surprisingly enough, he hadn’t felt much discomfort in his robotic arm. Sometimes, he even forgets it’s there. It just works for all of his purposes. As for the rest of the ride, none of the other Spartans spoke, making for a quiet elevator ride. While being silent is one thing, there was something off.

Once the elevator stopped and opened up, there were Covenant and Human bodies everywhere. Sebastian had Dove do a scan of the immediate area and found nothing out of the ordinary. Once they reached the end of the hall, there just seemed to be nothing. “Why were Marines holding out here? There’s nothing here!” Emile shouted.

“Were they cornered?” Kat asked softly.

“They were defending something,” Faye noted.

Jun seemed to be fed up with this, “If we are supposed to blow this base up, this isn’t the spot to do it. The coordinates are confirmed, right?”

Carter asked Dot, “Dot, check your vector.”

_ “Confirmed. We are exactly where ONI intended for us to be,” _Dot confirmed.

Jun still wasn’t having it, “Sir, I recommend we go A.I. free on this one.”

_ “Hold that thought, Noble Three. Coordinates revised, Noble One, please confirm?” _

“Revised?!” Carter said with more force, clearly pissed off. Sebastian was peering at the wall, running his fingers along with it, trying to feel a groove. If he was right, which is a coin flip, these Marines were defending something. His fingers, his robotic fingers, hit a small bump.

“Hmm,” Sebastian grunted, gaining Faye’s attention.

“Whatcha got?” Faye inquired.

“Where are those coordinates pointing, Commander?” Sebastian asked, his fingers picking at the small gap, even shoving his knife into the wall to accent the gap.

Jun cut in, “Three hundred meters north and one and a half kilometers underground.”

“Well, this is a door, no doubt about it,” Sebastian confirmed without much else thought.

Emile scoffed, “What makes you so-” the skull-faced Spartan was cut off as the door opened. Well, it slid open, knocking a Marine’s dead body over. All of the Spartans had their weapons up, ready for a fight. Sebastian had his left index finger on the trigger, at hip level. His knife was primed for throwing in his right hand.

“Is this the part where I can say, ‘I told you so?’” Sebastian joked.

Emile snorted in response, “That’ll be the day, Seven.”

After that, Sebastian took point, putting away his knife, but held his gun at his hip. He honestly didn’t care to turn around, but his eyes were looking everywhere, that and Dove already spotted cameras watching their every move. Dove could pinpoint that they were of human origin. Then, to make matters even more suspicious than they already are, a train car of some sort pulled up, then the door opened.

“So, the odds that this is all a trap and we all die is what?” Sebastian asked.

_ “Zero, Guardian,” _ a voice that was not Dove’s said.

However, it was the Spartans who recognized it instantly. “Doctor Halsey.”

_ “Get in you six, we haven’t much time,” _ the Doctor said, quite demanding if you ask Sebastian.

“So, have you gotten some of your questions answered from that recording?” Sebastian asked.

_ “Yes, but I require more information. Your world is fascinating, but that’s not important. I will need you all in my laboratory. There is something that needs to go with Noble Team. As of this moment, you are no longer under ONI’s jurisdiction. You are under my authority now,” _ the good Doctor said.

Sebastian was a little more enthusiastic than everyone else, “Better her than ONI. Agent Rice will be pleased… not. I didn’t like them from the start, and if he does find me, does that mean I can injure him?”

_ “If it will make you feel better, then yes,” _ Doctor Halsey said, with small bits of amusement in her voice.

“Alright, sweet. Now, which weapon should I use?” Sebastian asked himself.

Dove decided to intervene, “Sebastian you will not be using any weapon because I will take them away, along with all of your knives, even the hidden ones.”

Sebastian turned on his Ghost with a finger pointed, “You wouldn’t dare.”

Dove emoted a smirk, “Try me,_ Guardian.” _

Knowing he was going to lose this little fight, Sebastian acquiesced. Emile made a comment, “Like a mother disciplining a child.”

“Dove does act like a mother sometimes, but she also knows that I was one hundred percent serious about harming Agent Rice if he found me. If he brought more friends, then they would suffer nonlethal wounds. Not enough to discharge, but enough to incapacitate,” Sebastian said without hesitation, his voice uncharacteristically emotionless, drawing everyone’s gaze to him. Dove seemed to be the only one unaffected.

Suddenly, the cart lurched forward and Sebastian lost his foot before colliding with Faye, who pushed him upright before giving him a look. Sebastian had the right idea of taking an extra step backward. The rest of the male Spartans laughed, while Kat was shaking her head, laughing at Faye. The latter of which was blushing profusely. She may have accidentally coped a feel while pushing him up. She actually didn’t expect him to fall, and she found the conversation between the Guardian and Ghost to be quite endearing. It still didn’t hide the blush, and she had to force it down without much movement.

The cart then began to descend and Sebastian couldn’t really place it, nor did he want to. It didn’t _ look _ like anything from his world, nor did he really care. The only thing he was concerned about was if it was Vex. The Vex are sneaky, so he shouldn’t be surprised if they were involved.

Seeing a gap in between the elevator shaft and the outside, “Permission to scout?”

Carter looked at him like he was crazy, and he probably was. Emile gave a short laugh, “I’d say let him knock himself out, Commander.”

Sebastian looked back to Carter, head tilted, waiting for the say so. Once Carter nicked his head forward, Sebastian sprung out of the cart, and in between the safety area, then free fall. Sebastian dove straight down before going into a flip, to then jump a mere ten feet off the ground. To add to his display, he jumped just before hitting the ground, weapon drawn, finger once again on the trigger.

Once his feet were firmly planted on the ground, his eyes scanned everywhere, all potential sniper spots, all spots for a potential ambush, he radioed in that it was clear. Then, a mere thirty seconds later, the elevator touched down. Sebastian didn’t have to turn around to see Emile and Jun laughing to themselves, Carter was much more serious, not really expressing anything. The females, however, were shaking their heads; whether it was at Sebastian or the other two, the Guardian didn’t know.

_ “That certainly was… interesting. Now then, proceed to my lab. All will be explained inside, but first I need to prepare the emergency data removal protocol,” _Doctor Halsey’s voice sounded urgent and almost tired in a sense. Tired of the war, or tired of the Spartans.

Dove appeared, “Doctor, you may want to hurry, we have Covenant inbound and they aren’t happy.”

“Dove, the only time they were happy was when I was on board their ship,” Sebastian joked. Faye happened to hear the comment and slapped him upside the head. “Hey! What was that for?”

Dove rolled her optic, receiving the glance from the Spartan, “You have a bad habit of joking about things you probably shouldn’t joke about.”

“Defense Mechanism, jeez. Dove, you of all things living know that is how I am, and you can’t say you don’t find at least a couple of them funny,” Sebastian reasoned. Dove hummed before she acquiesced with a warble and disappeared.

“About those Covenant...” Kat trailed off.

“They’re already here, aren’t they?” Sebastian asked, his voice becoming tense. Kat nodded. The Hunter then sighed, before his body sparked with Arc energy. He rolled his neck and shifted his body to pop all of his joints, “Time to go to work.” The Arcblade appeared in his hand and ran headlong into the fight.

Noble Team was at the bulkhead door, defending the area while Sebastian was running laps around the Covenant. With the Arc energy fueling his system, his adrenaline made him hyper-aware of the electrical current in the air, when the weapons were charging up, when they were about to fire. The point being, he couldn’t be shot _ as _ much, the occasional shot hitting him, but it didn’t deter him. The knife easily glided through the Covenant flesh, to which they then evaporated like they didn’t exist. To Sebastian, that is utterly satisfying. Once that wave of enemies were taken down, a new wave began.

The Covenant decided to bring out a few Ghosts and a Banshee. Faye watched as Sebastian took down the Covenant with ease, almost as if he’s fought like that before. Most likely. Once Kat called out the Banshee, Doctor Halsey revealed a prototype laser weapon. The same one on the beachhead. Was it a coincidence that Faye just happens to find the same weapon from before? It didn’t matter now, she knew how to use it and she damn well was going to.

She sighted in the Banshee and traced it before holding the trigger. The gun kicked enough to put Faye’s equilibrium slightly off-center, but on the bright side, the Banshee no longer existed. She forgot the powerful punch this weapon had.

_ “I need to get me one of those weapons. Hey, Six, wanna let Dove scan it so it could be a shoulder-mounted laser? Because if so, that can be done,” _ Sebastian asked. _ “It just reminds me of a Golden Age laser pointer. A deadly laser pointer, but still.” _

_ “Do not touch my creation,” _ Halsey bit out. _ “As for the rest of you, I am almost done with the final preparations. Hold off the Covenant for just a bit longer.” _

“With these weapons? Easy,” Emile chuckled. The skull-faced Spartan always loved a close-quarters fight.

“Speak for yourself,” Jun scoffed, hoisting his sniper rifle on a UNSC crate.

“Wraith inbound!” Kat called out, taking hold of a DMR and finding the first Covenant she could.

Sebastian heard the callout but didn’t account for the shot that was hurdling towards him. “Alright, options are limited,” he murmured as he was backtracking. It didn’t help much as the shot landed right in front of, deafening him and tossing him back. His body hit the ground and tumbled and rolled. Sebastian heard a crack and assumed that it wasn’t good. His body slammed into a rock face, and more cracks, much more audible were heard. Sebastian didn’t have the energy to scream. He wasn’t dead but was teetering on the edge of life and death. Sebastian tried to move his physical arm, but crumbled under pressure, so he used his other arm to prop himself up.

Sebastian’s vision blurred, he could feel the rush of blood pounding in his ears. He could barely stand, barely move, and he was in a terrible place. He was launched right in the open and he should probably lay down and die. It’ll be easier for them to get away.

Faye watched in horror, her composure on the verge of snapping, as she witnessed Sebastian flying through the air from the Wraith shot. She heard the impact, and from where she was, it sent a tsunami of emotions through the former Lone Wolf. Anxiousness, uncertainty, _ fear. _ Spartans aren’t afraid of anything, they are physically _ incapable _ of feeling fear. _ “Spartans, inside, now!” _

_ But Sebastian… _ On a reckless streak, Faye refused the order and ran for him. She could feel the blood pumping through her body. She ran fast, pushing herself to her limits. _ “Faye, what are you doing?! Go, I’ll take care of him!” _ Dove’s stressed voice rang through her speaker systems.

“You don’t have that kind of time!” Faye yelled, which momentarily surprised her.

_ “Six! Wraith shot inbound on your four o’clock!” _ Kat’s voice yelled.

Even if Faye began to move, there was no way he would survive. Faye quickly thought about protecting him, making sure he was alive, because damn it, _ I enjoy his company. _ With that realization out of the way, she wanted to shield him, preventing further harm.

The shot landed, and instead of flying across the rocky landscape, she remained in place. She then looked right in front of her to see a somewhat tall transparent barrier. Faye didn’t have time to question it as she scooped his body and ran. She ran as fast as possible. The bulkhead doors were closing and if she was stuck out here, then she would certainly die here. That wasn’t going to happen. It would never happen in a million years. The Wolf will die when she deems it so, not by some inanimate door. Faye powered through, her strides becoming faster, her boots digging into the terrain, crushing the metal plating, once she felt a significant change in air pressure did she stop. Her boots skidded across the ground, creating sparks.

Then, and only then, did she set Sebastian down and finally breathed. Her shoulders were sagging and she felt exhausted, more so than ever before. Her physical body wanted to relax.

“Six, you went against direct orders-”

Her voice a mere, hoarse whisper, “You do not have the time to reprimand me. We have other priorities.”

“It seems that you got yours,” Emile gestured to Sebastian. Dove was currently healing his wounds, flying to and fro, making sure everything was together. 

Then, she swept over Faye, checking for any injuries and once she found none, she lost her calm composure for just a moment, “You are the biggest idiot in the universe, aren’t you?!”

Faye dryly chuckled, “I know. I was a Lone Wolf for a reason.”

_ “Now that you’ve had your reunion, hurry to the central platform. We need to talk.” _

* * *

The trio of Guardians arrived on Mercury, spoke with Brother Vance, who seemed to go on and on about Osiris and his teachings, which all three of them tuned out. They wanted coordinates for the Vex activity dating back all those months ago. Brother Vance didn’t recognize the Guardians before him, but it mattered not. From what they said, there was a Guardian missing, and they needed to find him.

Once out of the Lighthouse, they hopped on their Sparrows and headed to the coordinates. Then, a long and somewhat boring Sparrow ride later, the three of them arrived two hundred meters away from the suspected activity to be met with a wall.

“Wait, are these the right coordinates, Sen?” Verra asked.

Senea paused, “Yeah… but how is there a wall here?”

Kaz hummed and used his knife to carve into the wall, “The Vex are sneaky. They probably used technology from the Vault to make this possible. It was a trap of some sort, but that still doesn’t explain why I feel…”

“You feel it too, don’t you?” Verra asked her husband.

“The Light,” Kaz confirmed. “It’s here, but it feels trapped. The Light will escape no matter what, but it is a matter of _ time _ and time is something the Vex can manipulate very well. Bastards.” The Hunter sighed before leaning his head on the solid wall, “Sebastian, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, online classes?
> 
> _Sigh_ Listen, I don't have an excuse as to why it took me so long to actually finish this chapter, but I just didn't have the motivation to finish, but I did. (I don't want to say writer's block, especially since it was, but nbd).
> 
> Point is, the story is coming to a close in the next few chapters, I predict no more than five chapters (including an Epilogue). That is the tentative plan, it may be shorter, it may be longer, it depends. My mental outline is hopefully right. I want to finish this by late May, early June.
> 
> Then, I have another story I want to start in a new fandom, which I should have been in a while ago as I do enjoy the show. I can't give out specifics, but I would hope some of you like it. I even made an entire OC cast.
> 
> Anyways, I also wrote a portion of like 600-700 words on something between Faye and Dove, then decided that was not where I wanted it and moved that to an Editing document. Which has the little drabbles of all my edits and unused story bits I wrote. When I finish this, the document will be uploaded to the Bonus chapters.
> 
> Also, you want to talk to me? I have a discord server, where you get to watch me be an absolute idiot. 
> 
> Here's the link: https://discord.gg/2hdDyUK
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter everyone!
> 
> Edit (4/27/2020): was reading through the story out of boredom, noticed a continuity error. Spartan laser was mentioned before (Chapter 15 I believe) and I failed to notice. Changes soon after


	24. Delivery En Route

Sebastian worked his muscles and flexed his arm to give him his range of motion back. Sebastian was mostly out of it, so he didn’t hear the conversation. He did, however, notice all the glances at him. He didn’t ask but made a few jokes about it, breaking the tension somewhat. Still, he did know that Faye had run him inside. All he remembers before he died or passed out was the Wraith shot. So Sebastian went right next to Faye, who was avoiding him, “Thank you.”

Faye gave off a shrug, but to be frank, she was thinking about what Emile said.  _ ‘It seems you got yours’ _ Well, her priorities haven’t been straight since Sebastian arrived. There was something there that she couldn’t even begin to fathom. Something was drawing her to him. Something else was drawing her to him.

Sebastian let himself fall out of stride with Faye, noticing her body language wasn’t the full ‘at attention’ state. Sebastian flicked his palm out and Dove appeared. With a nod of his head, he let Dove fly free, in the seemingly long and straight hallway. It didn’t stop him from checking behind him to see the empty hallway.

_ “This chamber is sealed, Seven. You do not need to check behind you,” _ Doctor Halsey’s voice came through the intercom. Sebastian turned back around, standing tall, totally not embarrassed in the slightest, nope, not at all.

“So, where is the good doctor?” Sebastian asked aloud. As he said that, a door opened, revealing Doctor Halsey hunched over a console. There was something else in the room. Dove immediately pulsed scanned the room. When Sebastian looked over to Dove, she was a little embarrassed then hid right in his hood. “Oh.”

“Now that you are here, we can get down to business,” Halsey started, walking over to the terminal where a holographic person resides. “When Reach falls, and it will fall, our annihilation is all but certain, unless we can turn the tides against the Covenant. You, Sebastian, are merely the first step.” 

“This better not be an experiment, Doctor. Not everyone is just selected for this. It is much like your Spartan program. There are certain… requirements. Ones that are not your choice to begin with,” Sebastian gently explained.

“Oh?” the Doctor’s interest peaked.

“You had to be dead first,” Sebastian said, demolishing the metaphorical barrier. “So, yes, I had to be dead before I became what I am now. You don’t want that.”

“I see,” Halsey said, dropping the subject before moving on to a new one, “I need you to deliver a package for me.”

“A package?” Emile asked.

“To the UNSC Pillar of Autumn. I need this,” gesturing to the holographic person, “to be on that ship when it departs. If it is not, then Humanity is doomed.”

“No pressure, right?” Sebastian joked.

What seemed to make Sebastian fidget, was the fact that the hologram was looking right at him, analyzing him. Sebastian looked right back at it, well, her, and continued to do his own analysis. He didn’t know what it was. Dove did, of course. Dove floated around the room, keeping an eye on the Doctor, but her eye was drawn to the AI. The AI had also looked at Dove in curiosity.

“Time is of the essence, Noble. She will need a courier,” Halsey said. Soon, Halsey pressed a button on the console and looked right at the AI, giving it a small smile, to which it returned. Then, she twisted a handle, and out came a cylinder tube with a blue light. Halsey walked right over to Faye. “Take it, Lieutenant, she has made her choice.”

Faye was momentarily stunned, thinking why would an AI choose her of all people. She certainly didn’t deserve the responsibility. The Spartan took a fleeting glance at Sebastian, who nodded towards the object which held the AI. Faye reached out and grabbed the handles on each side.

Before Faye took it, the Doctor asked, “Do you have it?”

Without hesitation, “Yes.”

“Say the words, please,” Halsey demanded. Sebastian raised an eyebrow. He didn’t think she would say ‘please’ in any manner; didn’t think it was in her dictionary.

“I have it,” Faye responded. Halsey let go and Faye was now holding Humanity’s savior. Sebastian silently made his way to the door, to not intrude. Something was nagging him, almost out of jealousy.  _ Oh, my Traveler. _ Sebastian knew exactly what it was, but couldn’t outright say. Dove was taking scans of the object in Faye’s hands, making backups of the code, and noticed it was embedded with genetic code. Then, the Ghost scanned Doctor Halsey, much to her shock, it matched. Before she could ask what was that for, the entire facility shook. “We need to leave. Doctor, is everything in order?”

* * *

It was easy getting out of the facility, but what wasn’t fun, was having Halsey walk next to Sebastian. She was inspecting him, much like her AI. Sebastian continued to walk whilst also ignoring her. “Why did your friend scan me?”

“Blunt or vague?” Sebastian asked. One look to the Doctor said it all. “Alright, she made a backup. Multiple in fact, a failsafe. Which included you.” Sebastian already knew that the AI was made from Halsey’s mind. Dove knew the ins and outs of all AI creation. The difference between smart and dumb AI was drastic, but this one was definitely smart.

“I see. Do you not trust the Spartans to carry out the job?” Halsey mused.

“No, it’s you I still don’t trust, Doctor. I trust you more than before, but not enough to sit down and have a tea party,” the Guardian shrugged.

“What about Noble Six, you certainly have gotten closer.” Sebastian paused his thoughts. He would have to tread carefully. Halsey continued, “The Lone Wolf smitten by you, ironic.”

“Comes with the time fought on the same battlefield, Doctor. You have to learn to trust those who fight alongside you, otherwise, you die,” Sebastian said casually, twirling a knife in his off-hand.

“What of you? What happens after?”

Ah, the philosophical question. “Don’t know. I’ll drift to wherever and whenever. Who knows what might happen? I certainly have people missing me back home.”

“Where is home? Certainly not here, in  _ this _ universe,” Halsey emphasized.

Sebastian smirked under the helmet, “Correct, I have my mentors and other friends. Yet, if I leave, I couldn’t help but feel sad.”

“Because of how you feel for Noble Six,” Halsey predicted.

Sebastian already knew she knew. She’s a Doctor, one who takes great pride in analyzing actions, words, and everything else. So, he didn’t have to come up with an excuse. So, he stayed silent. Dove was worried about what he would say, but Dove got the feeling he was smiling. His heartbeat slowly crept up, probably thinking about her. “I have a question for you Doctor.”

“Hmm,” Halsey grunted.

“When?”

“I’ve had eyes watching you,” the Doctor said simply.

Sebastian’s voice hardened, “That doesn’t inspire confidence in me, Doctor. I assume you already heard of my Covenant escapades.”

While this conversation was happening, Faye was walking far ahead, giving them privacy. She was right next to Jun and Emile. Carter and Kat up in front. Everyone was walking in silence, this dark tunnel, the only lights on were from the AI, the Spartans’ accents, and Dove; who was up here with them, mostly by Faye.

“Dove, what are they talking about?” Faye whispered.

“They are having a somewhat normal conversation, surprisingly. I honestly expected him to give her the silent treatment. Then, the topic shifted,” Dove said uneasily.

Faye got curious, “To what, Dove?”

All Dove did was look at her with that look that had Faye close her mouth, look away, and blush. Emile chuckled from next to her. Jun was also laughing at her expense. “Told you Six, you have your priorities.” Right before Faye could glare at him, he continued, “I didn’t say it was a bad thing. It actually is good for you. So why not chase it?”

“Hate to admit it, but the knife-wielding maniac has a point, Six,” Jun stated.

“I do not need an existential crisis, you two,” Faye huffed.

Emiel shrugged, “Just stating the obvious. Better nab the chance before it slips away. Regret is a thorn that no matter how many times you pull it out, it  _ always _ comes back.”

Faye didn’t comment as they made it outside where two Pelicans were waiting. Carter waited for everyone else to come outside before he spoke, “Jun, Kat, escort Doctor Halsey to Castle Base. From there, do whatever you need to do to keep her safe.”

Halsey interrupted, “I require no escort, Commander.”

Sebastian interjected, “Take it and don’t complain, Doctor. Would you rather have no one, then get shot down, captured, and tortured?” While no one else caught it, it just about described what Sebastian went through a few weeks back. Faye nudged him harshly. He didn’t flinch. Sebastian went right up to Kat and patted her on the shoulder and gave his good luck, and gave his goodbyes before backing up.

Jun nodded, “I’ll do what’s necessary, sir. Good luck.”

“You too, rifleman,” Carter said. He turned towards Emile, Faye, and Sebastian, “You three, with me. We have a package to deliver.”

Right before they left, he turned to Doctor Halsey and grabbed her datapad, “Dove, upload it.” Dove appeared and pushed in the data that she had collected outside their normal conversations. It was the highlights of what he could share. It would prove to be useful to Humanity in the future. “Don’t waste the opportunity, Doctor. Take care.” With that, he walked away.

Faye went right up to Kat and did something she hasn’t done since she was a child, hug. She embraced Kat, if only for a moment. Then, with a last gesture, she drew an imaginary smiley face on Kat’s visor. Kat returned the gesture before they departed.

Sebastian was waiting on the Pelican, Carter in the pilot seat, Emile was openly gaping at the two females. “Did she just…?”

“Something the matter?” Sebastian asked, not noticing what just transpired. He was too busy watching Halsey’s facial expression change. Then, she looked at Sebastian with a thankful expression. He gave her a thumbs-up before retreating into the Pelican.

Faye brushed by Emile, but he stopped her, “You know what you did?”

She pulled her arm free, “Of course I did, who do you think taught me what it meant?”

Emile laughed, “Of course he did.”

As much as Sebastian wanted to know what she did, he decided he’s pried enough information and let that one little secret be buried. After all, everyone has a reason for keeping a secret. Now, the most important thing they had to do was get the package to the Autumn.

Once everyone was in their respective Pelicans, they dusted off. Everything was starting to feel normal. Being separated from some of the team shouldn’t be too bad, but it wasn’t what Sebastian was worried about. No, he was worried about the Spartan talking to the pilot.

Faye asked how long it would be and if he needed anything. Carter told her to sit down, but be prepared. The Covenant will most likely try something. Hopefully, it is not too oppressive.

* * *

Turns out, they sent about four squads of Banshees. They were mad, of course. Emile managed to get a Grenade Launcher and started EMPing the Banshees. Sebastian got Gjallarhorn out, and let’s just say, for the sake of simplicity, the Banshees weren’t a problem. However, one of them was peppering the cabin. Dot’s voice expressed a warning,  _ “Warning: Vital signs dropping. Sierra Two Five-Nine, seek medical attention.” _

“No can do, Dot. Six, that AI chose you, and she made the right choice. Emile, Sebastian, go with her, it’s a ground game now. I’ll keep them distracted,” Carter said. Even from the back, Sebastian could see the blood on the windshield, and knowing this would be the last time he probably would ever see him.

“Commander, it’s been an honor,” the men said. Emile and Sebastian looked to each other before nodding.

“Likewise. Deploy on my mark,” Carter held up three fingers. Faye holstered her weapons and held on to the AI chamber. Emile was holding on to the railing before the exit. Sebastian was on the other side, holding the opposite railing. Well, the home stretch awaits. “Mark!”

At that, the three members of Noble Team jumped from the Pelican and fell to the ground. Sebastian used a jump to stop him from hitting the ground. Faye had to, unfortunately, tumble down the cliff face as she went, clutching the AI like it was her baby.  _ Now, that’s a thought _ . As she was falling, her shield broke, as did Emile’s. Sebastian had already landed and they were laying on the ground.

Faye groaned on getting up, “We aren’t shock troopers. We need to stop jumping out of things.” The Spartan carefully inspected the AI before securing her to her back, just under the small of her back, on her waistline. Emile was silent as he stood up and grabbed his shotgun.

“You two green?” Sebastian asked. Dove scanned them both, looking for any hidden injuries from the fall. When she found none, he helped Faye stand. They locked eyes and they understood each other. They had to talk. If they ever got that chance. It just seems like another day at the office.

“Green, Seven. Let’s move, we have to make it to that,” Emile pointed to the giant ship. “The Pillar of Autumn.”

Sebastian peered over the edge, “Uhm, we have a slight problem with that. Well, not a problem, but an obstacle.”

Faye joined him at the edge, and there was the Covenant, already waiting. Emile joined right next to them, racking a new shell into the chamber of his M90, “Well, time to unblock the road. We’re in a hurry.”

Sebastian elected to take the lead, and jumped down with Nightstalker, using the Tether to snatch all of the Covenant in a generous radius. When he hit the ground, he hummed, “Didn’t think it would reach that far,” he said before killing a Grunt which set off a chain reaction. “Didn’t expect that either.”

_ “There’s a lot you don’t know about Nightstalkers, Sebastian. Maybe instead of ignoring it, you should have read up on it, two decades ago, just in case you ever got it,”  _ Dove said to him. The funny part was, it left a void scarring on the ground and a truck. Naturally, Sebastian touched it and it felt colder than an iceberg in liquid nitrogen.

As both of the Spartan descended from the cliff with minimal falling in the process. “Bout time you busted out the edgy version of you,” Emile joked. “Come on, we got to make it double time. They won’t be able to wait forever.”

Sebastian watched as Faye walked by, subtly grazing his hand, sending a chill up his spine. A low whistle escaped him, “Okay, after this is over. We are going away and having the time of our lives. After all, she deserves it, right Dove?”

_ “I will not be present for what you have planned, and no I’m not doing that again. I’m glad I deleted it from my memory,” _ Dove’s voice shuddered.

“Can’t say I blame you. Sparrow, please?” Sebastian asked. Without another word, Sebastian mounted his sparrow and zoomed right next to the Spartans, “You need a lift?”

“No, Seven, we have our own transport, saddle up, Six,” Emile said as Faye climbed over the driver seat to a Mongoose. Faye sped off and Sebastian kept pace with them, not making any conversation, but keeping an extra eye out for any Covenant forces.

Safe to say, Sebastian didn’t have to keep an eye out for long. As soon as they rounded a tight curve, Covenant drop pods fell from the sky, revealing more Grunts. However, that wasn’t the worst thing on the field. A giant metallic leg struck the ground, in the middle of the field, thankfully missing the road. “Mind telling me what that is?”

_ “Covenant Scarab. Keep moving, we don’t have time to fight it,” _ Faye mentioned on the offhand, ducking under a plasma shot, coming perpendicular to her head. Sebastian nodded to himself, hitting his thrusters on his Sparrow. However, that didn’t stop him from taking Ironwreath from his hip holster and killing a few Grunts in lieu of not being able to fight the new machine.

Dove scolded him for being antsy. Sebastian grumbled to himself as a Covenant Phantom came to the team’s West flank. It seemed to be on a direct path ahead of them, so the only option that Sebastian thought of was Carter. It was going after him, to shoot him down, but that changed quickly when it shot out the bridge in front of them. Thankfully, the blast made a ramp for Noble Team.

Faye, along with Emile, gunned the throttle on the Mongoose, and Sebastian hit the overdrive on his thrusters before clearing the gap whilst getting shot at. Sebastian went for a little flare and did a barrel roll or two, just to show off. Once he landed, he leaped off the Sparrow and threw a knife at the first visible target, a Brute. Poor thing got the knife right between the eyes, and the knife ended up piercing the brain of the Covenant soldier. “Three points,” Sebastian whispered to himself.

More Covenant troops were alerted by the explosion and began to fire back, the Spartans taking cover in a side building, while Sebastian took cover in a concrete building with an exposed roof. The  _ thwish _ ripped through the air before a  _ boom _ took its place. A Wraith. “We got a Wraith. Ideas?”

_ “Well, it’s a good thing I picked up a Rocket Launcher from where we got our transport,” _ Faye said smugly.

True to her word, she stopped just outside to keep the rocket barrels visible. Two rockets were fired and two explosions were heard. The Wraith was crippled, but not dead. Emile was off killing Brutes that got too close. Sebastian forged a Vortex grenade in his hand. This grenade, he knows, since Warlocks often like to conjure one right in their hands to stare at it. Sebastian knew what this grenade was used for. Area denial, but also used for a big hunkering, slow-moving target, just like the Wraith present on the field. Sebastian looked for an opening and noticed the Wraith turned to his building. Then its thrusters activated. 

Sebastian was already running as soon as he heard the boosters, he dropped his grenade right at the base of the wall. The concrete didn’t hold up to the Wraith’s ramming speed. Hilarious at the fact that they thought Sebastian was going to be caught in it. The Wraith exploded as soon as it hit the walls. Faye wasn’t worried. Well, not as worried as she thought she would be. The explosion was violent, to say the least, a little more purple than normal. “Don’t ya think that the… Wraith makes for a nice… wall decoration?” Sebastian asked Faye out of breath, and magically appeared at her side.

“How did you do that?” Faye questioned.

“I ran, Faye. What else… did you expect?” Sebastian quipped, still breathing heavy, hunching over on his knees. “You know… that was the fastest I’ve run from waking the Hive on the Moon.”

Faye turned, “Is that supposed to be a joke about your world?”

Sebastian shrugged, “Maybe.”

Emile stepped into the room, reloading his shotgun, “Now I was expecting a lot more Covenant. Come on, we have places to be. Oh, I’m fine by the way.”

“Lead the way, Noble Hardass” Faye said jokingly, before following the skull-visored Spartan.

Sebastian snickered before following them through the crevice of the rocky wall. Slight rumbling rang in Dove’s audio receptors. She dashed away from Sebastian and went to Faye since she was farther up. “What are you doing here?”

_ “Need to make sure of something about that Scarab. It’s close. Too close.” _ Dove said.  _ “I also wanted to congratulate you on using the barricade back at the good Doctor’s lab. It seems you have adapted quickly.” _

“Thanks, I guess?” Faye said with confusion.

Dove sighed into Faye’s ear,  _ “Just be happy it worked. There was a chance it couldn’t have. Just letting you know, so you don’t rely on it.” _

Sebastian was farther back when he heard Faye’s ‘What?’ and Dove returned to him. “If you said anything that will make her kill me, I swear Dove, I will not clean your shell for weeks.”

_ “I did nothing of the sort, she figured out the Titan’s technology, on a whim. I just acknowledged that it wouldn’t always work,” _ Dove said with the epitome of innocence. Sebastian could imagine the emote on her optic.

Faye slowly walked to Sebastian, at total ease. “Whatever she said, I plead the fifth,” Sebastian raised his hands slightly.

Faye grabbed him and rushed him along, and to be fair, he was further behind. Dove now spoke aloud, “Scarab inbound.”

Emile chimed in, “Motherfu-”

Sebastian leaped up to a rock to get a vantage point of, “I see our situation hasn’t improved much.”

Faye glanced at him with a whole neutral stance. Emile then exclaimed, frantic, “Sir, you can’t be serious. We can get past this!”

“...”

“Understood, sir. Hit ‘em hard,” Emile said, completely doing a personality swap.

_ “You’re on your own Noble. Carter, out,” _ the now late Commander’s last words. Sebastian watched on in horror, mouth agape from the inside of his helmet. While Guardians dying is normal. No one is prepared for their final death. So, for Sebastian to witness two, count ‘em,  _ two _ deaths of Noble Team. He was beginning to question everything. The only bright side to this was the Scarab was no longer a concern.

Sebastian was truly at a loss for words. It felt as if his soul was breaking. It only took until now to realize it. “He just…”

“Yes,” Faye could see the oncoming signs of grief.

“And he…” Sebastian continued, not being able to form a sentence, much less a single coherent thought.

“Yes.”

Sebastian cracked, “Stop saying yes! He just died! Sacrificed himself, for what?!”

Emile rested a hand on his shoulder, “He did it for the mission, Seven, for Humanity. Now do me a favor: Be the badass I know you are and don’t let the Commander’s sacrifice be in vain, you understand me, Sebastian?”

Sebastian was still at a loss. While he knows Guardians die, he was never  _ there _ for their final deaths, except one. Faye hit his gut lightly with the butt of her rifle. “Focus on me, Seb,” Faye said.

Sebastian shook his head before straightening his posture and nodding at Faye’s words. “Sorry, just have to get used to that…”

“You never do get used to death,” Faye said understandingly.

Sebastian scoffed, “You would think I would by now, after three centuries, but it just never gets any easier.”

“Let’s go, you two. The shipyard is another six clicks out from here. We have to go,  _ now _ ,” Emile ordered. Both the Guardian and the female Spartan were quick to oblige.

* * *

The trio continued along before coming across a bulkhead. A group of Marines was holding out against the Covenant. Once Sebastian rounded the corner, they seemed to be kicked into overdrive. They all roared and immediately disengaged from whoever they were fighting and came for him. “Are they still after me after all this time?! Leave me alone!” Sebastian shouted, pulling out the Energy Sword off his belt and ignited it just as a Skirmisher leaped for him. The Skirmisher became two as the Sword slashed through it, clean.

Faye was taking targets out from afar, “Seems they were really mad about what happened at the Shard.”

Sebastian grunted as he took the Sword out of a Minor Elite that attempted to engage in the skewering motion. Sebastian shot the blade beforehand to knock them off target. So, the brawl was over before it started. It might have been actual fun to spar with these Sangheili, but considering his track record, not so much. “Don’t make me laugh, Six. You know it was their fault. They messed with things they don’t-”

Sebastian stumbled as a needle round struck him in the chest… over his heart. He stumbled as a result, but didn’t collapse. Instead, he fell behind cover, gripped the needle and pulled it out of his chest, his blood staining it. “How bad?” asked Faye as she was right next to him, concerned but still taking shots over the cover

_ “Let’s just say be thankful for the one-inch armor plating he is wearing. That was all the difference from it killing him instantly,” _ Dove said unperturbed.  _ “Not the first time he has been saved by the armor, but try not to make it a habit.” _

When Sebastian looked down, there was a small trail of blood leaking down his chest, the hole in the armor still present. He asked for Hung Jury to be in his hands, and in a second, it was. Then, he asked Dove where the shot he got hit from was. The answer, straight across from him. Sebastian took aim and saw one of the Elites from his time on the flagship.  _ What is  _ she _ doing here? _ His finger slipped off the trigger and he saw, from his current position, the slight upturn of the Sangheili’s mask, the shoulders too. That ignited something in the Guardian. He opened fire on them, some of the shots hitting and missing, mostly missing. He never really fought with such emotion before, only in the chamber had he ever lashed out as much. His Light burned in him, the slow churning of his anger rose to a simmering boil, so close to overflowing, but just edging below the surface. All the while, the rest of the Covenant in the area were dead.

Even still, Sebastian did not take his eyes away from the spot he saw her. He didn’t know which one it was, but it definitely one of the ones who got the sick satisfaction of beating and torturing him. Faye put her hand on his shoulder but pulled it away like he was in the pits of hell. In this case, he was. His Light was preserving his armor, but he felt as if he was hotter than the Sun. Right now, the adrenaline and blood rushing through his head made him look like he was brain-dead when in fact it was the opposite. He was hyper-focused, almost obsessive like, along with the subtle twitching.

Faye rolled her eyes before cuffing him upside the head, snapping him out of his anger-induced trance. When he looked at her, she pointed to the floor. In his spot, which formed a black circle, he could see the metal, twenty feet away, melted. Sebastian saw the marks of his Light. “Did… Did I do that?”

“You did, and you were hot to the touch, my armor would have been superheated if not for the upgrades. You need to get a lid on that anger. It’s good that you have it, but not good when it blinds you,” Faye chided as she pulled him along. “Dove, back me up here.”

_ “Guardian, she’s right. If you had just gotten a tad more angry, well…” _ she trailed off.

“Well, what? I’m on the edge of my seat here.”

_ “There would have been the chance that this entire scrapyard would not have stood the chance to the power of pure Sol Light,” _ Dove finished her sentence with a low voice, barely audible, but it was picked by the pair.

“Remind me to save that for the Covenant then, take them all out,” Sebastian said tonelessly.

Emile picked the perfect time to join in, “You’re just all sunshine and rainbows, aren’t you?”

“Everything has been a shitshow since I arrived, and only two things have stayed constant.” Everyone waited for Sebastian to elaborate, but he didn’t. He let the meaning drift off like his cloak does in the wind. “Let’s get inside, I think the package is getting antsy.”

A silence enveloped before Dove spoke,  _ “Oh, she’s not happy with you now.” _

Sebastian slowed to see the package on Faye’s back flash at him. “I’ll assume she… is upset. How am I supposed to say sorry? In binary?” he said half-joking, half-serious.

_ “She says you’re welcome to try, but she’s currently laughing, as well as she can anyway,”  _ Dove was chuckling mid-sentence, and Sebastian groaned.

“At least I can still be entertaining in the middle of a firefight.”

The group entered the scrapyard’s inner workings. Sebastian had pulled a knife out and handled it with care. It took him a while before he inspected this knife, the one that Rosa gave to him, he looked closer to noticed a very minuscule inscription. Dove noticed this action from her Guardian and took a scan of it and  _ really _ looked at it.  _ “Guardian,” _ the Ghost’s tone made Sebastian snap to attention.  _ “It has your name on it, with her calligraphy. I’ve checked and checked again, she left a note. A final goodbye.” _

Sebastian continued to pay attention, but his movements were rough, stiff, compared to mere moments ago. ‘What does it say?’ he asked his Ghost privately.

_ “‘I love you, forever.’ She added a little heart afterward. I’m showing you what I see.” _ No sooner than that, the enhanced image of his knife appeared on his helmet feed. The message displayed flawlessly. When did she do this? When did Rosa have the time? Maybe one day, he’ll figure it out. Now wasn’t the time to walk down memory lane. He needed to focus.

‘Thank you, Dove. Rosa, Ward; you were taken too soon,’ Sebastian let his thoughts fade about his past lover, and focused on the here and now.

“-one good on the plan?” Faye’s voice cut in. Sebastian shook his head and tried to catch up on the conversation. Apparently, he missed the plan.

“Green,” Emile replied.

When Sebastian didn’t, Emile nudged him, “Seven, you green?”

Sebastian sighed before looking around the corner, seeing the Covenant in the way. They are insistent. “Nope…” his body flared as he activated Golden Gun, “but I will be after I break the silence.”

Without another word, Sebastian stepped into the room, him being the brightest entity in the room. When the Covenant finally noticed him, Sebastian had already opened fire. The first Golden shot hit three Grunts, who stupidly line up. However, his mind went to his instincts. His hand-eye coordination was pristine, quick, precise. The Golden Cannon flipped between both of his hands and fired round after round. A Grunt here, a Jackal there, the occasional Elite sprinkled in. The gun seemed to have infinite ammo, and it could, but Sebastian wanted to push the limits, to feel pain, even after all this time Rosa would always love him, and she would always have a piece of his heart. Yet, he couldn’t disregard his feelings for Faye. His step faltered once but quickly recovered, so fast that it was not worth acknowledging. It only made him grip the pistol harder.

One Stealth Elite, who thought he was not paying attention to his flank, went for the quick, merciless kill. It, however, did receive a double-tap to the chest, incinerating in an instant, no physical body to recover. Sebastian turned his focus to the Covenant who were retreating. Sebastian took this opportunity to test a theory. This theory involves knives and Light. He took three of his knives and held them between his knuckles, emblazoned them with Light, and set them on a crash course for a warm fleshy body to dig into. The knives were efficient in their tracking. It was at that moment where the empowerment of Light fell. It didn’t just fade, it dropped off a cliff. 

Sebastian felt the blood rushing to his head, pounding in his ears, his posture slacking. He couldn’t hear anything, but he could feel the pressure of his extended usage of the Gun. Sebastian knew it was a reckless move, but after playing it so carefully for so long, while not making direct light of it, he needed to let loose. He felt his knees hit the ground, and thankfully, there was a wall supporting him. Then it moved.  _ Wait, walls don’t move… _

He blinked beneath the helmet, seeing something moving in front of him, there was no audible sound. He blinked again, then there was warmth and an annoying ringing. His senses were dull, but he was alive, he thinks, that or the afterlife was pretty shit. Soon after, mumbled garbage was reaching his ears. Then, his helmet was taken off, and he blinked as the sudden change in scenery, and lack of facial protection, caught up to him. He then felt the warmth in his ears, before it cooled. “Th…wa... re...reck…., ...astian.” Sebastian winced in response.

“Ugh, I think I know what happened, but oww… Not so loud,” he groaned before attempting to sit up when a hand pushed on his chest lightly restraining his movement. Taps on his shoulder redirecting his attention turned to the carnage he left. It looked like that a few dozen bombs were detonated in the room, yet there were distinct markings of melted metal,  _ dripping _ from the top railing. It was still so hot, it was liquid. “Did I do that?” His vision finally cleared and saw the extent of it, the room didn’t look anything like a room. He barely took notice of the blood rushing out of his ears, there were more important things to look at.

Dove brushed against his face, dragging his attention back to her, “Can you hear me clearly? Nod yes or no.” Sebastian nodded. “Do you remember what happened in detail?” Sebastian shook his head. “Well, I have an explanation. You prolonged the end of the Golden Gun and that was slowly killing you, drawing from your very soul. While the effects didn’t show until the end, your body made that decision for you. You were well on the road of killing yourself, and  _ I _ wouldn’t have been able to save you.”

Everything hit Sebastian like a ton of bricks. He sighed before attempting to upright himself. The Hunter only wanted to get them there faster, and he guesses that his instincts completely took over. Then, his arm flashed violet and his eyes burned momentarily before he felt good as a new. “Uhm…”

Dove already was scanning over her Guardian, looking for any inconsistencies. Everything seemed normal, except for his Light, “Did the Void just…”

“...Heal me?” Sebastian’s voice was hesitant.

Dove tsked, “Nope, but I hope you like the Void and trust it enough because it looks like you burnt out the Golden Gun temporarily. The Void is taking care of it.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything for a few moments, but he had his deep thinking face on, “Well, I did want to see what it offered.”

“You really are reckless,” Faye chimed in, still concerned, but kept minute traces of it in. The A.I. on Faye’s back started flashing, only noticed by Dove.

Dove giggled to herself, ‘It seems that I’m not the only one who notices what you have.’ She said nothing but told the A.I. that this is how they have always been. She noticed the Void slowly repairing Solar, but Dove kept a few extra programs running to make sure that it does not initiate a hostile takeover. There was a record of a Ghost who was trapped specifically to Void Attunements for years, due to an accident. Dove had not followed up on it.

Faye then gently lifted him up, “Come on, Seb, we still have work to do. Oh, and congrats on ‘breaking the silence’, as if we aren’t in a warzone.” She handed him his helmet, and she resisted cleaning the blood that slowly dripped from his ears, still.

Much to her surprise, Sebastian laughed, one that made Faye’s heart flutter. It was so carefree, something he exerted almost constantly. Faye had to have a look that was soft, caring. She wouldn’t mind hearing that for the rest of her life. Something else felt like it spoke to her, also joining in on the sentiment. Faye didn’t know what it was, but she couldn’t help but agree with the mysterious feeling.

* * *

A Titan arrived on the Fields of Glass, Mercury to find a Hunter just sitting and staring at the wall, twirling a knife. “Listen Kaz, you need to take a bre-”

“I can’t. It’s not fair to him! He’s like a son to me-to you-as well! Both Meza and Cahal treat her like a daughter! I can’t just abandon them!” The Hunter said to his superior. The superior in this case was his wife.  _ Happy wife, happy life, _ the idle words rang in Kaz’s mind

Verra steeled her gaze, making Kaz rethink his future words, “Listen to me, Kuzaz. We are not abandoning them. Right now, both Sebastian and Dove are somewhere;  _ where _ that somewhere is, is a different story. We don’t know  _ when  _ they are, or if they are in some other universe.”

Kaz stopped and thought about it, but he would need, “Where’s Sen?”

The smaller Titan looked up at her husband, gobsmacked at the sudden change in topic, but she slowly saw where his mental gears were turning. “You really don’t think…”

“We know he didn’t enter the Infinite Forest, but it is possible that he is not…  _ here? _ ”Kaz had a glimmer under his helmet, one that held copious amounts of hope.

“Cahal, contact Kex, find Senea and ask if this was actually possible,” Verra said with a glimmer in her eyes. “Kaz, we may have found him, and its all thanks to you.”

“It’s more of a theory, but it’s something,” a deep sigh emitted from the Hunter, “  _ Je t’aime _ ,  _ mon sucre d’orge. _ ”

_“Ich liebe dich auch,_ _Mein Jäger.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the French line is, "I love you, my sweet candy." (term of endearment commonly said to women)
> 
> German is, "I love you too, my Hunter." (Referencing Kaz's Guardian class)
> 
> Anyway, I have news. This story is ending in three chapters! (This one, then two more) _Le gasp!_ I know, but I got bit hard by the writing bug and over the course of the next few days, I will be uploading and finishing off the story. I will be sad to see it go, but hey. I set out what I wanted to accomplish and more.
> 
> So, let's head to this final few chapters together.
> 
> (Posted this like an hour after FF's version, so apologies)


	25. Endpoint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERE IS NO SEQUEL! I REPEAT, NO SEQUEL WILL BE MADE. EPILOGUE WILL BE OPEN-ENDED!!
> 
> Thank you.

Once Sebastian sat up, slid his helmet back on, grabbed his weapons, and knives from the various corpses around, he and Faye moved on to see Emile dealing with Hunters. Sebastian took one of his recently retrieved knives and whipped it towards the exposed Hunter’s back. As a follow-up, he aimed for the hilt and pulled the trigger on Hung Jury, further pushing the knife into the flesh. Honestly, he might just leave that one there. It isn’t worth the trouble to retrieve. With that knife embedded into the flesh, every movement will make it cut deeper. Sebastian made sure it was dual-serrated with a hook, to inflict even more lethal damage.

With the first one on the verge of death, Faye took action against the Hunter looking in Emile’s direction, unaware of how close its bond brother is close to death. Faye was swift in her delivery by taking a grenade from her belt, pulling the pin, and ramming her fist into the exposed flesh of the Hunter, before backpedaling. The grenade exploded and blew out the Hunter’s back, collapsing. It’s wounded brother roared and attempted to crush the offender. However, the actions were wild and therefore, lacking their power. With each and every thrash, the knife buried in it will be its undoing. However, that didn’t stop any of the three soldiers on the ground.

Sebastian conjured a Vortex grenade and lobbed it at the Hunter’s feet. What appeared was a large purple ball of mist. This mist was mostly transparent, but if not careful, it will devour you. Emile lobbed a grenade of his own, right behind the Hunter and the resulting explosion pushed it further into the mist. Faye managed to snag a plasma grenade from the previous room and stuck it to the Hunter. The combination of three different explosions and the knife still inside him, made the Hunter fall over and croak, but not before the body just dissipated into the Purple mist, leaving just the knife that was embedded within. Sebastian sauntered over to the site and picked up the knife, once the grenade disappeared of course, and cleaned it off before looking to the two Spartans. They looked to be conversing about something.

The Guardian continued to be lost in his thoughts as he stared up at the sky, it looks so bright, maybe around mid-afternoon. Over the course of his time here, he slowly got used to their odd time schedule, but he still thought about what would have happened if he didn’t go to Mercury, but quickly demolished the thoughts as he knew what he had, and smiled. As he turned around, Faye looked at him. Even from here, they both could feel their tension. It should be easy to acknowledge it, and oh how they want to, but if they did, what would change?

Emile took point, heading inside, and Faye beckoned Sebastian to go first. With a nod, the eldest of the three passed her, putting a hand on her shoulder pad and giving it a squeeze. Faye took it as a sign of thanks and before she could react, he already passed her. With a slight frown adorning her face, she followed.

The facility seemed to be empty on the inside, except for a few Marine teams, who were holding out, and it only got better when the Spartans arrived. “There she is, you two, The Pillar of Autumn,” Emile said as if he was a tour guide of some sort. Sebastian snorted lightly at the thought of Emile being a guide of Reach. _ ‘On your left, you’ll see a battlefield and on your right, you’ll see a battle in progress.’ _

“Well, it is a pretty ship, reminds me of the Exodus ship we had during the Collapse, well according to my mentor’s sister. History nerd, she is, and I could guarantee she would have a field day of piecing together your history,” Sebastian whispered loud enough for both of them to hear.

Faye cut in, “The Captain is waiting for the package. Emile, you got the gun?”

The older of the two Spartans grunted, “Of course I do, I love me a big gun. You two, do what you do best.”

With that, they separated and Emile headed up the stairs while Sebastian and Faye headed down the stairs and headed outside, where a few Covenant dropships arrived. With a check to her weapons, she was ready. Sebastian, however, had Gjallarhorn at the ready. Faye smirked. “You ready, Sebastian?”

The Guardian scoffed, “I’m always ready, Faye.” The words were serious, but his voice was soft. He hefted the heavy weapon over his shoulder, making sure it was secure, before holding out a hand. “Thank you.” The Spartan-III was confused, but took his hand, with a hint of caution. Slowly, he grasped her hand and gently pulled her close and slowly wrapped an arm around her form, “You don’t know how much you’ve helped me.” Faye could swear he was starting to cry, but he was undoubtedly calm on the outside, his heart rate said otherwise.

“You’re right, I don’t,” Faye said before very hesitantly, wrapping an arm around his back.

Under his breath, almost a murmur, he whispered something. Something he barely heard himself, but it was enough for him. When he was holding her, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Faye heard it, but only just, but she didn’t get the chance to react because the sound of a Covenant concussion cannon pelted the ground, fifty feet away. Faye was the first to break the embrace and grab her weapons to dive headfirst into the fight. When she did, she felt a tad colder without his arm around her. Even the A.I. on her back knew what was going on and from her container, the A.I. smiled. It was as if it already knew what was happening between the two. While she may be a container, she has been gathering data on her courier. She tried to acquire more on this mysterious entity and all she has is physical appearance and their names, any other data is locked behind advanced firewalls. So advanced, they are light years ahead of the UNSC’s best. Curious, at best. Infuriating at worst.

Sebastian admitted it aloud, but he didn’t know if she heard him. For a fleeting second, he thought she did but was snapped out of his stupor when a concussion rounded spat up debris at him. Some of the resulting stones clinked against his armor, and one landed in his arm shielding his face. He pulled the offending stone out of his skin, letting Dove redirect Light to heal the flesh wound. With lightning fast hands, he pulled Gjallarhorn from his back and fired a volley. The whistling of the rounds was music to his ears. His face adjusted to a vicious smile as the rockets exploded and killed the recently dropped Covenant.

Then, the second wave showed up. Sebastian, with utter efficiency, loaded Gjallarhorn for the next batch. They too would be dealt the same fate as the others before them, Sebastian wanted to be done with this war. If he had to be honest, this has gone on long enough, this war.

That brought on the question, _ what’s it all for? _

* * *

Faye just shut down, rather than accept what she knows will creep up on her, she ‘turned off’ her emotions. With that being done, she went after any and all Covenant she laid eyes on. None of them survived the hyper lethal vector’s efficiency. She was internally reeling over his actions. His words were mostly silent, but they definitely conveyed what he wanted to say because the slight tension in his posture was gone soon after. While she shares the sentiment, she can’t find herself saying anything in return, because she doesn’t know what the words were. That might be the only downside of being an augmented super-soldier, you must give up all of your morals. As it was said before, _ with loyalty comes morality. _ Her morals were never fully gone, they only hid underneath layers of time. They hid for all those years, and there was only one person who brought them to light. The mystery, the enigma, the one who opened up the vector’s heart. Sebastian Rutherford. The words, barely audible as they were, she heard those words. They were filled to the brim, on the verge of spilling, with unbridled passion and _ love _; with a dash of sincerity mixed in.

He’s done so much for her, even things she hasn’t noticed. She can read his body language as he can read hers. Ever since he revealed his metal arm, he’s been more upbeat, more open, mostly to her. It was all in his actions and a few words, and he’s completely made her a different person. Little does she know that she did the same for him. Faye noticed that anytime that Dove was around, her optic was a little brighter every time the Spartan spoke to him. The Ghost was most likely relishing in their interactions, and sometimes Sebastian was too.

Sebastian was also preoccupied with his thoughts, so much so, that he was mindlessly firing Gjallarhorn at random packs of Covenant, who just kept landing in the same damn spot. It was almost _ boring _ to fire rocket after rocket. However, his attention shifted when he noticed Faye spacing out, only for a brief pause, but long enough for a Brute with a hammer running up on her, intent to smash and kill. _ One of those is my job, buddy. _

With a quick command to Dove, he readied Her Supremacy and aimed for a shot, not a headshot, it would take too long. The problem was, Faye was mostly in the line of sight. Another problem, he wouldn’t have time to set up. Without much time to get a better angle, he looked through the scope, standing, which is not the normal stance for sniping. Exhaling, he delicately squeezed the trigger.

Faye was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she almost got herself killed, not from the Brute she knew was coming up on her, but the fact she heard a small _ tink _ against her visor. She should be mad that he shot at her, the trail was blue, so it limited it to one culprit. She was lucky. The Brute in question, however, did not get so lucky. It took the round straight to the chest, shattering the armor, and halting most of its momentum. The Spartan snuck a glance where the round came from, to see that Sebastian was quite a ways away. She also noticed his posture, standing. _ Even Jun wouldn’t have taken the shot from there standing. _ She had to admit, that was impressive. She nodded towards him, as a sign of thanks before she turned towards the Brute, who roared in anger.

Sebastian breathed a huge sigh of relief, all the tension of the shot taking the wind out of the Guardian. “Did I want to know the chances of me hitting that shot ever again?”

Dove took this small opportunity to check, and to say she was shocked was an understatement, _ “Wow, the world must have a vengeful wish… My calculations say _ negative _ fifteen percent flat.” _

Sebastian whistled taking the number in stride, “Glad I never have to do that again.” He then laughed, “Now I can say I made the impossible possible.”

_ “Never change, Sebastian,” _ Dove said lovingly.

Sebastian smiled, full smile, eyes crinkling at the edges, “Trust me for you, I won’t. Now, Let’s check on our resident Spartan.” The Hunter looked through his scope, finger off the trigger this time, and saw that Faye spared no expense with the Brute.

The Spartan made a fist and slammed it as hard as she could into the Brute’s chest where Sebastian shot it. The resounding_ crunch _ was utterly satisfying as the Brute went flying back, dropping the Hammer. Faye smirked, _ this is mine _. If Sebastian has a Sword, why can’t she have a Hammer? She picked up the Hammer with relative ease, before giving it a test twirl, and found the weight perfectly balanced. Then, she grinned and launched herself at a group of Covenant who were not expecting a one-way ticket to death via a Hammer-wielding Spartan.

From his view, Sebastian chuckled, before opening a channel to Emile, “She’s got a Hammer and she looks giddy.”

The only response he got was a hearty chuckle and a ‘give em hell’. Sebastian shook his head before turning around to see seven Brutes being dropped in and closing in on him fast. Sebastian checked his Solar Light and found it was mostly ready, but it felt warm but not as warm as normal. However, the Void was more than willing to come out and play. His arm lit up in the eerie purple glow as a blade appeared on his left wrist and his eyes shifted and within a moment, Sebastian dashed off to the Brutes. They faltered in their charge as they realized that their target was not there. That was until one of them dropped and disappeared into a purple light.

They continued to look around, but as time went on, more and more of them dropped until one of them was left. Sebastian appeared in front of the leader, by the looks alone, and smirked under the helmet. From the Brute’s point of view, all he saw was a purple flame in front of him. The helmet of this person was lit up in purple, two distinct dots, their entire being was covered in a purple aura. There was no fear radiating from them. They showed pure dominance. Then, just as soon as they appeared, they vanished and the Brute looked around, waiting for them to strike, but then… it went still and the Brute slipped into unconsciousness, then a blissful slumber.

Sebastian came out of the Void with relative ease. Once it faded from his body, he stumbled slightly, blinking his eyes back into existence before looking at the Void damage around him. “Oh, so I did a thing?”

_ “Yes, you did a thing, but do you remember it?” _ Dove inquired.

“Vaguely,” Sebastian murmured. “Well, at least I still got it.” Sebastian looked down towards the lower parts of the area and found that Faye was making Grunts fly. He chuckled, she was having the time of her life and it was utterly hilarious to the Guardian. Sebastian looked at the Autumn to see a Pelican, no, two Pelicans departing from what looked like the main hangar. “Four, Six. We got two Pelicans coming from the main hangar, and they most likely need some cover.”

_ “I got them,” _Emile said gruffly, as the sound of a Railgun charged. Then a flash of light blasted through the sky into a Covenant Phantom. That Phantom was truly a phantom after that. Sebastian whistled while Emile was laughing vigorously through the comms. He sometimes is scary, Sebastian made a mental note.

“Six, how’s it going on your end?” Sebastian asked while he was somewhat idle, waiting for a command that he’s needed. When there were five seconds of silence, Sebastian got worried.

That was until Faye’s voice came through, _ “No assistance required. Seven, you wanna see why?” _

“Should I be terrified?” Sebastian asked half-serious.

His only response was a dark chuckle. Sebastian quickly made his way down to the landing pad, where the Covenant seem to not be. It looks like they will be forming another plan of attack. Once he made it down to the lower areas, he paused.

It looked like a blood bath, Sebastian was pretty sure that there was not a single space not covered in Covenant blood. In the center, Faye was covered in blood, yet the A.I. was perfectly clean. Sebastian just saw Faye with the Hammer over her shoulders, stretching casually. “Hey, what took you so long?”

“You’re fucking terrifying, you know that?” _ Yet, I’m the one in love with her _. The Hunter continued to approach, “We should probably get the package to the Pelican, then they will take it from there.”

Faye put the hammer on her back, dusted her hands off, and walked by the Guardian, “Come on, they’ll be waiting for us.”

With that being said, the ‘couple’ went up to the landing pad where the rear doors opened and there was a squad of Marines and one officer. When Six and Seven approached, the man spoke, his voice held authority but he seemed like the type of man you could go to when you needed some fatherly advice. “Good to see you Spartan, Halsey assured me that you would arrive.” Faye pulled the A.I. off her back and contemplated everything in that one second. What she contemplated, however, was too fast to put into words. She handed off the A.I. and she beeped rapidly, only for Dove’s ‘ears’.

Dove translated, _ ‘I’ll miss you too, maybe one day, we’ll see each other again.’ _It was as good of a promise she could make.

The officer looked to Sebastian, “Halsey also mentioned you. Thankfully, ONI doesn’t know where you are. However, I can thank you.” Sebastian nodded in respect, checking his weapons over again, stepping closer to Faye.

It was at this time that Faye spoke, “It wasn’t just me who got us here.”

The officer spoke with sympathy, “They _ will _ be remembered, count on that, Spartan.” 

Sebastian gazed off in the distance, before noticing a peculiar ship. “We may have a problem. We have a Supercarrier inbound.”

The officer raised a hand to his ear, “Noble Four, we need fire on that cruiser or we’re not getting out of here!”

_ “I have your window, sir,” _ Emile replied, lining up the Railgun to take the most important shot of the day.

That was when a Phantom appeared out of nowhere and fired on the air support, the second Pelican, out of the sky, before flying up to the Railgun. Both Faye and Sebastian aimed for the gunners, but they were faster. They fired plasma bolts at the pair, Faye remained unscathed, but Sebastian took one or two to the arm and one to the chest. It burned through his armor and singed his skin. Dove would repair and heal him later. That was when Sebastian noticed they were Zealots. Her Supremacy was in his hand and he lowered himself to a crouch. The first Zealot was shot off the pilot’s chair before Emile climbed out and put the barrel into its mouth and fired, killing it instantly.

That was when the second one came from behind and stabbed Emile through and through, skewering him on its blade. However, Emile wasn’t going down without a fight, _ “I’M READY! HOW BOUT YOU?!” _Emile stabbed his kukuri through the second Zealot’s jaws before falling out of sight.

The first Pelican came back, and one of the Marines shouted, “Come on, we got to get the hell out of here!” Sebastian wasn’t leaving, not by a long shot. He’ll leave when he’s good and ready and nothing will stand in his way. His emotions were causing his Light to be just beneath the skin, the container that was his body was becoming unstable. His Light needed an outlet.

Before he left, “Go Six, I got this. Get out while you still can,” his voice was straining to be kept level. Sebastian was close to the edge of his sanity when he turned to Faye, “You have five seconds to decide what you are going to do, otherwise I’m shoving you on the Pelican and will finish this myself.”

“You are _ not _finishing this without me, Sebastian,” Faye’s voice was firm, unrelenting, fierce in her delivery. She wasn’t going to let him risk his life. That’s her job, regardless of his immortality. She’s the expendable one.

Sebastian smiled through his lack of clarity, “Then the battlefield awaits.” Within seconds, he was a purple glow before dashing off towards the Railgun, a spectral shadow mimicking his movements as it faded from existence. Faye turned back to the Pelican, “Good luck, sir. I have the gun.”

“Good luck to you, Spartan,” the officer said cradling the core of the A.I. Then, the Pelican flew back to the Autumn, and Faye was left alone on the landing pad. With a deep breath, she followed after Sebastian, hoping he was alright.

* * *

Faye followed the carnage. Sebastian spared no expense in his wrath, there were distinct purple marks everywhere. The Covenant in the area all had a purple marking, except the Zealot. The Zealot was the only exception, it suffered multiple lacerations and multiple cases of blunt force trauma. Sebastian took his rage out on this. Then, she heard a voice. She couldn’t make out the words, but the Spartan-III kept her weapons up. She slowly ascended the stairs leading to the Railgun.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you,” Faye heard Sebastian speak, voice full of sorrow. He was over Emile’s body, leaning him against the railing.

Faye elected to speak up, “He went out fighting, just like he wanted. No need to feel sorry.”

“I still should have been able to do something, instead of just standing there uselessly,” Sebastian bit back.

She kept her voice calm, “Let’s deal with our more pressing issue, then we can discuss what happens next.”

“The honor’s yours, Faye,” Sebastian gestured to the Railgun. With a solemn nod, Faye claimed the pilot’s chair and started opening fire on Phantoms.

“Sebastian, take care of the Banshees, I’ll wait for the right opportunity to hit the carrier,” Faye ordered.

_ “Understood. Dove, let’s bring the rain,” _ the Hunter said, unleashing more of Gjallarhorn’s fury. The Banshees never stood a chance. Neither did the Phantoms. Sure they got a few shots in, but that doesn’t mean it will keep them down. Sebastian fired round after round, even picking up a laser weapon that was laying there, of all places. _ “You know, a shoulder-mounted laser is still an option.” _

“Like the option to shoot you if you pissed me off?” Faye replied in jest.

Faye heard Sebastian genuinely laughed in response as he blasted a Banshee to pieces. He stopped abruptly to say, _ “Is it in range?” _

With a look at her screens, it was indeed in range. “One downed Supercarrier, coming right up,” and she pulled the trigger. The resulting flash of light was nothing short of mesmerizing. The carrier faltered in the air, their glassing weapon destroyed and everything seemed to be alright. Faye slowly climbed out of the Railgun’s controls and landed next to Sebastian.

He was staring at the Autumn as it flew from its dry dock to space, where Humanity would continue to thrive, all thanks to Noble Team, ODSTs, and the Marines who gave their lives to this planet. It was and is doomed to fall, but in the end, it was all worth it in Sebastian’s eyes. Faye’s footsteps stopped right next to him, and well, she had a vibe that said ‘respect’, so he waited until she initiated something. She tapped him on the shoulder, “I swear, if I turn and you hit me, I might just vanish into thin air if you hit me hard enough,” Sebastian said jokingly.

Faye smiled under her helmet, “No, but could you repeat what you said when we first arrived in this area?”

Sebastian mulled it over as he remembered what happened mere hours prior. Or at least, what felt like hours. Then, his eyes widened and his heart sped up. He turned to look at her, in a casual stance, with blood still all over her armor. “Uhm… I, uh… well, you see… uhm…” he sputtered as his mind and mouth were out of sync.

Within a few heartbeats, Faye pulled her helmet off and then she pulled his helmet off, so she could look into those cobalt eyes that she had come to adore. She was greeted to that sight, with his mouth open, sweat glistening on his face. The face of the person she has come to know. The person that she has come to fight alongside and the person she has come to love. The person that made her feel _ human _ for the first time in her entire life.

Sebastian was greeted to those dark, murky pools that he has loved ever since he could see them, the whole time, he wondered how he was going to say it. The message, from when he knew he was going to be captured, was only an inkling of what he wanted to say. Now, he can’t say a thing. A few strands of her raven-colored hair was stuck to her face because of sweat, but it made her look beautiful. Faye teased him, “So are you going to say it?”

Sebastian didn’t have to when he let his body take over and he pulled her close and laid a kiss right on her lips. Faye’s eyes comically widened before fluttering shut and just enjoying the sensation. She won’t outright admit it, but she missed the kisses. The great Noble Six, the infamous Spartan B312, the hyper lethal vector with only one superior, missed being kissed. She missed this kind of affection, something she never received in her life and was making up for lost time. Sebastian wrapped an arm around the small of her back, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. The Spartan’s hand cupped, then caressed his cheek. She didn’t want this to end. To her, it felt like the whole world didn’t exist. To him, a piece of his whole world was right in front of him.

Sadly, the kiss had to end, they both needed to breathe. Sebastian took pride in the fact that he made a Spartan breathless. He smiled wide before admitting, out loud, to her face that, “I love you, Faye Lockhart.”

Faye’s heart fluttered, reaching heights she never thought possible. She couldn’t contain the giddy smile that graced her features. Taking a deep breath, she whispered back, “I love you too, Sebastian Rutherford.”

Dove recorded the whole thing, without the knowledge of either party, just for safekeeping. This was an important milestone, one for the books. Unfortunately, Dove had to be the one to interrupt, “Uhm, I really hate to break up the moment, but we have company,” the azure optic swirled in worry.

Immediately, Faye’s tone changed, giving Sebastian a case of whiplash, “How many?”

“A lot, even too many for my sensors to count, and that number is high,” Dove admitted.

Sebastian chuckled, “Well, our work isn’t done yet,” he turned to Faye, “Go get prepared, I need a word with Dove.”

“Alright, be quick about it, we don’t have much time,” Faye said concerned.

“I won’t be long, love you,” Sebastian threw the word again, making Faye’s chest flutter _ again. _ She leaned forward, giving him a chaste kiss before sliding her helmet back on.

“Love you too, Seb. Don’t take too long. Might need your help,” Faye replied as she disappeared from sight.

The Ghost looked right at her Guardian when his face went from joyful to serious, “Dove, if anything happens to her and me, I want you to find a way off the planet.”

Dove’s heart broke there, “You can’t be asking me to… You promised!”

“I’m finally happy, and it’s all thanks to you. If I die, what do you think will happen if you appear? They will either shoot you or capture you for study. Please, just be selfish this one time. You always worry about me. Let me return the favor just this once. If she gets taken away, I don’t think you’ll be able to salvage what was already broken. The shards will become dust. Please,” Sebastian didn’t want anything more, he begged, pleaded with his Ghost to let him go. This is what he wanted.

“I cannot promise you this, but I will do my best to uphold it, Sebastian. You’re the best Guardian a Ghost could ask for,” Dove’s voice wavered as she spoke, to which her Guardian knew.

He understood the magnitude of his request and he will stand by it. “You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, Dove. I just want to let you know that. You showed me everything. I think we both deserve a rest, don’t ya think?” he smiled weakly at her. Dove buried herself into the crook of his neck, unable to form any more words. She was overcome with emotion, that he swears that Dove would be crying if she could. “There there little birdy, everything will work out in the end.”

* * *

Sebastian stood right next to Faye, right on a wide platform. Abandoned and crumbled buildings littered the entire area. Covenant Phantoms swarmed the duo’s position. Faye had grabbed a mounted turret and was carrying it with ease. Sebastian opted for Found Verdict, Ironwreath, and Jolder’s Hammer. Fatebringer rested in a holster at the small of his back. “Dove, do you still have the music we got from a long way back?”

“Yes, Guardian. Do you want me to play it?” Dove asked curtly, their previous conversation playing over and over again in her core.

“No, just prepare the playlist, Carmine, please. You’ll know the right moment to play it, I promise,” Sebastian said.

The roar of the Phantoms drowned out Dove’s reply, and then the plasma started flying. Faye took a section over at the west side, Sebastian took the east. They decided it was better to be separated because they did not want to clash with each other. They were better in their own elements. Sebastian saw his first target, a Minor Elite. Sebastian racked a shell into Found Verdict before rushing towards the fight. The Elite did not know what hit him. He was dead before he even knew what happened. Sebastian continued this pattern of running at them, to use his shotgun in the most effective manner, up close and personal.

Meanwhile, Faye was spraying the Covenant down with her machine turret. The Hammer was resting on her back, so she has a backup, along with all the other weapons she has stashed in the buildings. She even found a drop shield armor module that she applied to her armor, not including the hard light shield that is somewhere in her armor. Grunts, Jackals, and Elites were lining up and Faye was knocking them down. They tried to rush her but were met with 900 rounds per minute. Faye cracked a smile under her helmet. However, her idle thoughts were lingering on Sebastian.

Sebastian was giddy with excitement. He found that Ironwreath plus his Sword was a beautiful combination. _ Talk about swish swish stab. _Sebastian, however, was not like the Spartans. They had shields, he did not. So while he was having the time of his life, participating in a Covenant massacre, he was wounded, mostly flesh wounds, but even those started to pile up. He refrained from using his Light because he wanted to save it for when he desperately needs it. Nevertheless, he persevered.

Faye had used the now empty machine gun like a baseball bat, swinging it as hard as she could into two Elites. Then, she pulled out two Magnums and she went to town. She picked off Grunts, Jackals, and an Elite that was lingering in the back. She was aware of her shields taking some hits and took cover as needed. She continued to dodge and weave as she continued to mow down the relentless armies of the Covenant Armada.

The Guardian went for the hands-on approach after a while. The Sword was doing marvelously against the flesh of the Covenant armies, cutting through them like nothing else. Sebastian felt on top of the world. Did he have an expectation of completely wiping them out and living? No. Was he going to get his last few kicks in? Oh, you can bet your ass he was. He just hopes that Faye was having a way easier time.

Truth be told, she was starting to struggle. The fatigue from the previous battles was starting to catch up to the Spartan. Each time she dodged a plasma grenade, it was getting closer and closer. They were starting to send more and more soldiers. They were being dispensed faster than they could be disposed of.

Sebastian noticed the increase and Covenant and thought nothing of it until he heard a scream. Sebastian paused from pulling his Sword out of an Elite. That was… “Faye…” he whispered before bolting off to find her.

The Spartan had the unfortunate timing of having her shields being down and then being shot in the shins. The needle rounds skewered her flesh and while adrenaline may be flowing through her system, the needles were burning her flesh. She tried to move, but it was agony. The pain was slowly catching up. That was when Sebastian burst through the doorway and noticed her condition. “Shit,“ he hissed, “Come on, we need to go. We can’t hold them off.”

“We can’t leave, Sebastian, they will find us,” Faye said, breathing through the pain.

“Wanna bet?” he smirked under his helmet before they were both invisible.

Sebastian carried her over to an area without a lot of activity. They were still close to the Covenant, but out of sight. At least, they thought they were. The building Sebastian set Faye down in was primed with plasma explosives. Just as soon as he entered the door, Dove found the building plasma energy and warned them.

Just a second too late.

The resulting explosion sent both of them flying. Faye landed and rolled, and she felt something break. She didn’t have time to lock the armor. Breathing started to hurt, more so than usual and the previous battles caught up with her, causing her to pass out. Sebastian landed with slightly more grace, but it didn’t help when he skidded into a concrete wall. The wall audibly cracked, and so did his ribs. Dove quickly gave them a heal from inside her dimension, but couldn’t do more unless she was exposed, which Sebastian did not want. “Faye…” he murmured before blacking out. 

* * *

All Faye felt was pain, blinding pain; pure agony is a phrase for it. She heard the explosion, but didn’t know what happened after. They got separated and to top it all off, the Covenant were swarming their position. She had to get up to fight. She would not die laying down. She groaned as she tried to get up, but a hand wrapped around her throat. Her eyes burst open to see a Sangheili warrior holding her up. This one was one of the females. The armor gave it away and Faye suddenly felt so useless.

Faye tried to fight and wrench herself out of their grip, but more pressure was applied. **“How it would be so easy to snap your neck, but my Commander has a plan for you.”** The words were full of unadulterated malice. With her breathing cut off, the Lone Wolf was subdued into the realm of unconsciousness.

* * *

Sebastian opened his eyes and all he felt was pain. Everything hurt, and now that the adrenaline was flushed out of his system, the pain came back full force. The Hunter took his time to stand up and when he did, He wobbled and slowly made his way out of the rubble. The building they were supposed to take cover in was nothing but plasma now. “Faye,” he said, trying to shout, but his throat hurt. Everything hurt, and he wanted to find her and keep her safe, the person he loves and he was happy. However, when he rounded the corner of the building he was going to, he was met with a sight he wouldn’t ever forget. Along with the aliens he wished he never met. He saw Faye sprawled out in the same style as before; when the Traveler took over his body. Sebastian said weakly, “Faye…”

That was until a familiar Elite took center stage. One he wishes he could drive a Sword into. Or a knife, or a bullet, or any high-velocity object.

**“Hello, ‘Seb’,”** Thel ‘Vadamee said, with a look akin to a smirk. It was infuriating. What made it worse was the dagger under Faye’s throat, the restraints around her wrists, and the knife in her side. Her blood leaking out of the wound. Her body was making no visible response, but there was a subtle tell that she was alive. The slight rise and fall of her chest.

“What have you done?!” Sebastian roared, Light flaring. Faye was defenseless, helmet on, but depolarized. He could see her eyes, they looked so dull compared to before. “Why are you here?! What do you want?!” he shouted.

**“What we should have done in the first place, demon,” **Thel ‘Vadamee said before giving the order to his subordinates, the females. The order to slit her throat, to end the demon’s life. It was at that moment when her eyes met his, and her eyes crinkled, meaning she was smiling. Sebastian knew that smile. It was a smile of acceptance, but even she knew that he would never accept it.

It all happened so fast that Sebastian didn’t have time to properly react. The cut was clean, and he watched as the love of his life suffer, painfully, right before his eyes. The sounds of her choking on her own blood made his eyes flare in response. He tried to get his body to do something, _ anything _. He had to watch as her blood leaked onto the ground, with no signs of stopping. “No. No no no no…” Sebastian didn’t care, he just wanted to see her. “Please no…”

With their work done, they watched the pitiful human squirm, **“Let this be a lesson, Demon.” **said the leader, Zesa.

Sebastian didn’t dignify that with a response. He only cared about her, “Faye please… please don’t go… I love you… Dove, can you do anything?” he whispered.

_ “Sebastian…” _ her tone was sad, regretful even, _ “you know as well as I do that I cannot heal her as I can you.” _Sebastian didn’t care if they were watching, but he needed to see her.

She didn’t know how it happened, how she ended up like this, but she knew it was bound to happen. Through her choking, she managed to speak. Sebastian pulled off her helmet so he could look into her eyes, and gripped her hand, which was getting weaker by the second, “Be strong, Sebby… for me… I…. love… you…” and then her grip slacked, dropping his hand. Just like that, Spartan B312, Faye Lockhart, died on Reach, fighting for Humanity.

The Elites were surprised to see that the faceless Demons were Humans. This was a new development for them.

Sebastian cried, no, he wailed. He mourned as he shouted it’s not fair. That was the undoing of his Light. It exploded in a mass of Void, Solar, and Arc. The entire battlefield was blind for a few seconds. Dove was still in shock, and in her shock, she accidentally played the playlist named Carmine, the one she had prepared. Every song made sense, they were all true, in some way, shape, or form. The main buildup and chorus set the mood.

_ “I don't wanna be afraid, I don't wanna run away _

_ I don't wanna be evaded, it's more than I can take _

_ I'm never gonna be the same _

_ I threw it all away _

_ I don't want to be evaded _

_ Just let go (look what you do to me) _

_ Let go (look what you do to me)” _

This was what Sebastian did, he let go of all his restraints. He let his Light be free and the blend of all three known Guardian attunements were burning bright, none overpowering the other. A collage of colors blinded all of the Covenant in the immediate area. Yet, they still tried to get to him. Thel and company had already left to pursue the Pillar of Autumn. The next song described the current mood, and it showed just how close he was to the brink.

_ “Find my life ahead _

_ Oh, I don’t know, I don’t know where _

_ But I’m starting on my way _

_ Will you meet me, will you meet me there? _

_ Echoes in the night _

_ Like a melody is haunting me _

_ But then I meet your eyes _

_ With the fire of a rising sun _

_ ... _

_ I am standing on the edge _

_ Take me over, take me over _

_ See how fast this life can change _

_ Take me further, lead me further _

_ Take me over, take me over” _

Sebastian raged on, his form a glowing combination of all three attunements, the Covenant troops around him all tried to fight him, six, seven, eight at a time. Each and every time, he would prove them wrong, they would be decimated time and time again. He would not stop, he would not care how he did it, but every single Covenant will pay. Dove flipped to the next song. This one must have been how Sebastian felt when he gazed into her eyes.

_ “Into your eyes I live _

_ Beautifully broken _

_ ... _

_ Fight _

_ We'll fight _

_ And bury our lies _

_ We'll break these chains _

_ And wash it away _

_ Oh light _

_ Carry me over the ground _

_ Heavy won't hold me down” _

Nothing would stop the Hunter from raging on, his Light burning strong. He would avenge her and he would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. A Wraith was on the field and in a flash of light, his Golden Gun formed, but much to the female Ghost’s surprise, it was a mix of Sol and Void Light. Even the bullets were a mix. The Void was doing its job, and it only made his rage go further beyond. Even in his rage, he thought about all of their moments together, how she was a light in the darkness. How she was the pinnacle of his life, something he never knew that he could have. Tears leaked out of his eyes during the fight. Dove realized that she was playing the songs to him as well. He didn’t hear his words, but Dove swore he said ‘thank you’.

_ “So reach to the sky _

_ The life we have has come _

_ This night of our lives _

_ We've only just begun _

_ Together we are _

_ Bright as the stars _

_ We're a light that will never die _

_ This is the moment we come alive” _

Sebastian burned bright in his rage. Through it all, he was crying. Not for them, not for himself, not for Dove, but for Faye. The woman who changed both of their lives. He was brought back to his question of what was it all for? All the bloodshed, all the lost lives, worlds, and everything else in between. Was it worth it?

_ “We’re fighting for something _

_ If I lose the world I know _

_ If the night, it comes for me _

_ If tomorrow fades _

_ And nothing matters _

_ ... _

_ What's it all for? _

_ What's it all for? _

_ ... _

_ I am still alive _

_ I am still alive _

_ What's it all for? _

_ What's it all for? _

_ What's it all for? _

_ I'm looking for a reason _

_ I’m looking for a reason” _

This particular one was interesting to hear, as it described what Sebastian was trying to do. He had a reason to live, and now that it is gone… he is doing the only thing he could do… he was looking for one. Right now, he didn’t know, but every song played, pushed him on. He knew he would die here, and he knew that Dove would follow his wishes, but he wouldn’t stop fighting until they put him down like a rabid animal. However, the next song provided the next question. What would happen if he let them win?

_ “What if I let you win? _

_ What if I make it right? _

_ What if I give it up? _

_ What if I want to try? _

_ What if you take a chance? _

_ What if I learn to love? _

_ What if, what if we start again?" _

It is not what he wanted for himself, but what Faye wanted for him. She wanted him to fight until he couldn’t. That begs the question, what would have happened if they started again? Would it be like the Vex simulations, except with only one end result? Or would there be a new ending? One forged by the brightest of sparks. Dove mourned her loss as well; she genuinely enjoyed talking with Faye. She continued to pursue the music in silence, even over the sounds of battle and carnage raging in the background

_ “I want to save it all _

_ I want to take it all _

_ My heart is holding on _

_ I bleed, I bleed for love _

_ ... _

_ When I'm gone _

_ When I fade away _

_ Is the air I breathe my only legacy? _

_ When I'm gone” _

This is what Sebastian wanted to do. He wanted to save it all and he wanted only one thing, Faye’s love. He received it, but only for a short time. Sebastian didn’t care anymore. He wanted to die. He wanted to die next to her. So, that is naturally where he ended up after his rampage. Sebastian would give his all for her and wouldn’t stop, but even Dove knew, everyone must get off their pedestal at some point, it was just how hard they fell.

_ “I'd give it all to you _

_ Letting go of me _

_ Reaching as I fall _

_ I know it's already over now _

_ Nothing left to lose _

_ Loving you again _

_ I know it's already over, already over now” _

After his rampage ended, his body smoking, Light free and pushed to the limit. He burned it all in his rage, and now he only could wait until the exhaustion set in. He freed her from her restraints and laid her body down, putting her helmet next to her. The only thing wrong with her was the single cut across her throat. “I’m sorry,” Sebastian croaked, his voice was at his limit. He thought about what he could do, and then it clicked. _ ‘ _ _ One day, you will need this. You will know when to use it.’ _

Sebastian thought about the spark the Traveler gave him and now was the time, how could he have been so stupid and forget about it? This was his chance. He focused everything he had into getting it to appear, and it seemed eager as well because it came out of his chest with relative ease, making black spots appear in his vision. He suddenly felt drowsy and his eyelids drooped, but he snapped himself awake. With one final exertion, he pushed the spark into Faye’s chest. When nothing happened, the hope that swelled in his chest died. As did his soul. Dove didn’t realize how far he pushed himself, and with a final croak, he said as if he was speaking to someone, “You got what you wanted… leave me here with her, as a final request. Can you honor _ that?” _ With that, Sebastian fell right next to his lover, hand clasped in hers before he shut his eyes and let the darkness subdue him.

Suddenly, it just felt like life had just become darker without the Light. Everything felt hopeless and Dove doesn’t know what to do now. There was no one to guide her. There was no one she could talk to. For the first time in three hundred years….

She was all alone. There was no one, there was nothing. Nothing else mattered. She felt so far away. Then, a light was cast over the battlefield and all that remained was a white light. It was warm and Dove soon fell into its loving embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so that was a lot that happened. I'm genuinely sad I had to do that, but I needed a reason. As for the centered paragraphs, those are song lyrics. They're in quotes because I felt like it was right to do so. The playlist name, Carmine, was a hint to the actual artist. There was one song that was not by them. They were, in order of appearance: Artist, Title (Album)
> 
> Red- Let Go (End of Silence)
> 
> Red- Take Me Over (of Beauty and Rage)
> 
> Breaking Benjamin- Down (Embers) [The Chorus was beautiful, okay?]
> 
> Red- The Moment We Come Alive (Release the Panic Deluxe Edition)
> 
> Red- Still Alive, Looking for a Reason (Gone Deluxe Edition)
> 
> Red- Start Again (Innocence and Instinct)
> 
> Red- Gone (Gone Deluxe Edition)
> 
> Red- Already Over (End of Silence)
> 
> Do you see why it was called Playlist Carmine? Anyway, this is the last chapter before the Epilogue, and don't think I forgot about the bonus chapters I promised. Those will get out, once I finish this up and decided what I want to do.


	26. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are... After like seven months, over 170k words, I have done it. Chance Beyond Reality has officially finished! This does not include Bonus Chapters, which will be added at a later date; when I write them, lmao. I want to thank all who have followed/Kudos'd the story, who subscribed to it, and to those that left comments. Like seriously, there were times I wanted to just take a long break, like I did in December, but I didn't want to turn into that author who doesn't finish their stuff.
> 
> As for the story, this is over 10k words. I just went off, and this is the product. I sincerely hope you all enjoy!

Back at the Tower, in Senea’s room, the Hunter and Titan couple burst through her door where she was sitting on the floor, documents everywhere. The couple started speaking over each other but there were key words that Senea caught before she stopped them. Obviously, she thought they lost it. She was looking at it logically, there is no way that this could be _ anything _.

“Woah woah woah, you two cannot just come in here and just spout a theory at me that does not have a single thread of evidence! In order for theories to be theories, they need a leg to stand on. I assure you that trans-dimensional travel isn’t possible. Unless you turn yourself into a Vex.” Senea raised her voice at her brother and sister-in-law. The theory had nothing to stand on.

“Come on, sis, you can’t tell me you haven’t thought about it? That’s why we haven’t been successful in locating him. They aren’t in our world anymore. What else could it be? It isn’t a Vex simulation, because we know that the Vex can’t simulate Light. When we were there, you felt it, I know you did,” Kaz pleaded with his sister. She was the smart one, of course. Verra agreed with her husband, it made sense, and he brought up valid points.

“Sen, you have to admit that his Light was there. The Traveler was there too, in a way. It might have the answer that we are looking for,” Verra calmly interjected.

“Listen to yourselves, there isn’t any plausible evidence that this is true. I’ve been scanning for him ever since we left and we haven’t found any-” Senea paused as she pulled out a datapad that she then made widescreen for the other two to see. “That’s really weird, and there’s no way that this is right. The scans were blank just five minutes ago...”

“Well, are you going to elaborate, sis? Don’t leave us-” Kaz’s words died in his throat as his eyes saw what Senea saw. _ Sebastian’s Light readings _. They were there, but incredibly weak on Mercury. Kaz dashed out of the room, having Meza prep the ship with Holliday and Verra was close behind him. Senea threw on her combat robes and had Kex follow and prepare for their expedition. Senea thought that if this is true, then they will be able to bring him back home.

Normally, Hunters are gone longer than normal, but as found out before, leaving without a word is another story. That usually means they went rogue or they died. Neither is the case for Sebastian, at least not yet.

“Kex, how is this possible?” Senea asked her Ghost as they rushed through the Tower, saying ‘excuse me’ if she accidentally bumped into other Guardians. They all knew her by sight, as they did Kaz and Verra. Being a one of a kind fireteam kind of does that, but they don’t know how much Sebastian means to them. However, seeing them run, they tried to ask around what made them do so. They only do that in emergencies. Other Guardians went to see their respective Vanguards to ask about. They only really get deployed when it is something big.

“I do not know, Senea, but if Sebastian is indeed alive, then that means there is a chance that Dove is too. For reasons obvious, they wouldn’t go anywhere without one another,” the circular Ghost shell said. “To answer the next query on your mind, I have tried to contact them using our long range satellites, but have been unable to establish a connection. As always, we will learn more when we arrive… Transmat in 3, 2, 1…” Senea braced herself as Kex teleported himself and his Guardian to Kaz’s ship. Once all three were strapped in, and Kaz got the green light from the landing bot, he floored the thrusters, heading straight out of the Hangar on a course to Mercury.

Once they were in the air, Commander Zavala’s voice came over their ship comms, _ “What are you three doing? You do not have the authorization to leave the Tower.” _

The comms were muted as Kaz gritted his teeth looked to Verra, “Please tell your idiotic Vanguard that we are going after our friend. Nothing they say or do will stop us.” His hands were gripping the controls tightly.

Clearing her throat, she opened the comm, “Commander, with respect, we are going, this is personal for the three of us. No threats you say or do will affect our mission. We are going after him. It’s about time he comes home.”

Silence reigned for a few moments before they all heard the Commander audibly sigh, clearly against it, but knows how stubborn the three of them are _ “Very well, bring him home. Be Brave, Guardians.” _

With a major sigh of relief from all three Guardians, they continued to Mercury. _ Hold on, Sebastian, we’re coming and we’re bringing you home. Count on it. _

* * *

The descent to Mercury was a close one, and fast. They set it down in their normal area. They chose to ignore Brother Vance, and they set out on their Sparrows. Between the three of them, Meza, Cahal, and Kex were mediating the comm channel. Kaz was the first one to speak, _ “I just want to find him, if he’s injured, then he will need help.” _

_ “Kaz, you need to relax, we will get there when we get there. If you are all worried, you will not be performing at the proper level you expect to,” _Senea replied through the comm, and Verra added her agreement.

He sighed, _ “You’re right, but I’m worried about him. I mean, Verra, how could I not? Ever since we brought him in, and we helped him hone his skills, he’s been a son to us. Plus, you remembered what happened with Rosa. After that, we almost lost him, and I refuse to lose him.” _Kaz cared for Sebastian and treated him as his own son. While they never established the dynamic, it came naturally. He knows Meza acts like a mother to Dove. As does Cahal and Kex, but they are like the funny uncles you see every now and again. They passed by various Vex who paid them no heed, as long as they aren’t bothered, they won’t bother them.

The three Guardians continued to travel, and the coordinates of the signal were getting closer and closer. When they got to the point where they could no longer be on a Sparrow, they all dismounted and continued down the path. Vex architecture was slowly becoming more and more prevalent in the eyes of the three Guardians. Kaz noted that they were already past the point where they normally could go. The wall was gone, but neither of the females noticed it immediately. Kaz had his hand on his weapon as he walked, his cloak covering most of his form, but that action did not go unnoticed by the females.

They got their own weapons ready. Then, they felt a pulse. It wasn’t a Ghost’s death pulse This was an SOS pulse. The pulse drove Kaz to action, sprinting ahead without so much as a word. He knew it by heart, Meza had Dove practice that same beat for years. The pulse was quick, slow, and then two more quick SOSs in rapid succession. While it could be a Vex trick, Kaz slowed down just a little. He rounded the corner and the sight sucker-punched him.

There were hundreds of Vex around a lone figure, who was face down. All of their beady red eyes locked on to it. At that moment, Senea and Verra were right at Kaz’s shoulders. “Oh my Traveler,” Senea whispered.

Kaz had a plan for this and he knew that it was one of their only options, “Delta-58. Senea, get him out of here. Verra, with me. Take ‘em down any way you choose. Mark?”

“Sync,” both ladies replied in unison, no longer family, but a fireteam. In battle it is important to put personal feelings on the sidelines, something these three have mastered over their very long lives.

The Vex did not expect three other Lightbearers to arrive when one of them was already weak. They were going to harvest the lone one for study. It would be a fine addition to their collection. They already had one Lightbearer trapped in the Forest. Another would do well for their tests. The Vex Minds were displeased that more showed up, and they reacted accordingly.

The figure on the ground groaned and felt so sluggish. They felt so dead inside. All they wanted to do was collapse and go into a blissful slumber forever. They felt something in their hand, it seemed to be important if it was in their hand. The figure managed to open their blurry eyes and view the item in question. One look and their emotions began anew. The tears couldn’t be hidden. Nothing could be done. She was gone. Never to return, they don’t even know what happened after they passed out. All they remembered was doing the one action that could have possibly saved her. Their Ghost was offline, not dead, but they managed to get their SOS out there. It was just a matter of time. The person felt someone shake their shoulder. The voice was soft, “Are you with me?” The item in their hand was being pulled away. They clutched it tightly.

“N...No,” their voice was hoarse.

The soft voice spoke again, “Kex, do a quick analysis. Tell me why she isn’t responding.”

_ “Unknown at this time, Guardian. All we know is that this is the real him. She may be in our dimension. I’ll alert other Ghosts to look for her. Her shell is pretty unique as he was the one to make it and modify it. If they don’t know where she is, then it may be safe to assume that-” _

“Do not finish that sentence, Kex. I need to get him out of here,” the voice said. It sounded familiar to the person.

They stiffened on contact. _ No way, is it… _ “S-Senea?” they croaked, their vision still blurry.

The person who they thought was Senea froze, their grip slacked, then tightened, “Sebastian… you don’t know how long we’ve been looking for you.”

Sebastian’s eyes opened, before wincing, “Where the hell am I? When am I?”

Senea sighed, “Mercury. You’re back home. You’ve been missing for the past nine months. We’ve been worried sick.”

_ Nine months? I swear it’s been longer, or at least it felt like it. _ Sebastian’s mind only remembered… _ Faye _ … _ I’m sorry. _ The item in his hand was her dog tags. He would find a way to honor her. “Help me up, please… I need to...”

“You’re injured, there is no way you can fight, plus, Kaz wants me to get you out of here while they deal with the Vex,” Senea said, lifting him and draping an arm over her shoulder. Senea may be shorter, but she was strong, as he felt himself be lifted with ease.

“No!” he shouted before he swung himself upright, putting the tags away in a pouch, a pouch that had Dove, safely contained. His relief was palpable as his shoulders released some of his underlying tension. They immediately tensed up again as his eyes glowed violet and his arm extended into the ethereal Void blade. His right hand reached down to the familiar spot where he put his Sword and felt relief when it was still there. _ It was all real. _He gripped the hilt and it ignited, prompting Senea’s next string of questions. He didn’t hear Senea asking as he spoke, “They will pay for what they have done to me,” he seethed before dashing towards the closest Vex.

Kaz and Verra were taking out Vex left and right. Kaz had his Arc super active, shooting Vex close and far away. Verra was throwing her Hammers and killing a half dozen Vex with a single throw. Kaz almost felt bad for them, _ almost _ . The fight has been going on for a few minutes, but it cannot go on any longer. _ “Kaz, Verra, he’s up, and he’s angry.” _Senea’s voice said in wonder.

“Who?” both Kaz and Verra asked their sister. Kaz saw it out of the corner of his vision, a figure slicing and dicing Vex by the handful, one with Void and the other with an unidentifiable object. The screams were filled with agony and despair. That much was obvious. The Vex were thinning by the second. _ What the hell happened to you, Seb? _

Sebastian felt nothing. He felt like he was nothing. Not since he was taken away from her. He doesn’t know how he got here, he doesn’t know why. He should have been left there to die. It was the one thing he wanted. Yet, it was taken from him yet again. Once the Void blade on his wrist ended, a wave of Solar took over. This Golden Gun had a mix of purple and it fired those combination bullets from before, so it looks like his Supers mixed. The Vex did not expect this amount of pure power to radiate from this single Guardian.

In response, they sent in Minotaurs, which did not last long. Sebastian was angry. As soon as they appeared, they were gone in an instant. Once the Vex realized that they were not going to get any worthwhile data out of this, they backed off and the other surviving Vex disappeared. Sebastian ended up in the middle of the room, where an object was partially buried in the sand. Sebastian went to his knees as he quickly dug it out and inspected it. _ No _. It was Faye’s recently acquired Hammer. He sank down further and wept. “It’s not fair,” he repeatedly croaked. “Why must I suffer for this?”

“Sebastian?” a gentle voice reached him. Kaz, Senea, and Verra approached him, Verra leading before she crouched a few feet from his form.

He reacted, pulling Ironwreath and pointing it towards the source of the voice before he froze. “No… but…” he dropped Ironwreath and reached for the closest person. Verra met him in the middle and hugged him close.

“It’s okay, Seb. You’re home again…” Verra cooed like a mother would a child. He was obviously shaken up, and right now, he needed a change of scenery.

Sebastian’s arms barely registered anything, but she looked the most similar on the outside, but even he knew that she was gone. “It’s not fair,” he croaked again.

“Shh, Seb… We’ll get you home and we can talk, alright?” Verra whispered to him, finally relieved that her son made it home, from wherever he was. “Where is Dove?”

Sebastian didn’t have the energy to respond, because he was so tired, physically, mentally, and emotionally, but he did mumble, “Front pocket.”

“Do you mind, if I inspect her?” Verra inquired, knowing it is a Guardian norm to ask to handle another Guardian’s Ghost. Sebastian couldn’t answer, so he nodded. Senea kneeled right next to the hugging pair and she carefully reached in and retrieved the shell. Dove’s optic was barely flickering.

“She’s Light deprived, we need to head back to Earth, like now,” Kaz could see it and Meza appeared to scan her. With a solemn nod, it confirmed Kaz’s evaluation. “Verra, you carry him. Senea, we need to make sure that there are no other Vex in the immediate area. Cahal, see if you can call the ship.” Kaz bent down and picked up the Hammer, surprised at how heavy it was. However, he made no complaints as he carried it. “Get a medical bay ready for him. He needs a full evaluation.”

With orders being sent, Sebastian let the fight be drained out of him, “I’m sorry, Faye.”

* * *

When the younger Hunter woke up, his nose detested the smell and he felt nauseous. Hospitals and field hospitals always had the smell of antibiotics and disinfectants. Sebastian rolled his eyes before opening them. Then he immediately shut them as the light thundered against his eyes. With a groan, he tried to sit up but a hand on his shoulder stopped him, “Oh no you don’t.”

Sebastian stiffened, “Kaz? Am I dreaming?” His eyes opened to take in the face of his mentor. The lines of exhaustion were more prevalent than last time. “This seems familiar, doesn’t it?” Referencing the last time he was in the hospital for major reasons.

A scoff, “You wish… You have _ so _ much explaining to do. You are lucky that Senea isn’t in here, or she would pepper you with questions. Believe me, I want to as well, but I know you need time to adjust.”

“I know. How long was I out?” he asked his mentor/father figure.

“A few days, but your other injuries are still healing. We had to take Dove to a Ghost expert, someone who has the innate knowledge to fix them. She’s an odd character, but she managed to fix her. She’s to your right,” Kaz explained and Sebastian looked to see her core, out of her shell. Right next to those were the dog tags… _ Faye. _ A spike of pain went at Sebastian’s heart. “You kept mumbling her name. Who was she?”

Not wanting to lie, “The second woman I fell in love with. However, she was from a different universe.”

Kaz coughed and put down his drink, looking at him with wide eyes, “Come again?”

“You heard me, the second woman I fell in love with.. Oh, I can’t wait to tell you this story.” A sad scoff came next, “Probably won’t matter, you’ll never believe me anyway,” Sebastian said with tears in his eyes. Kaz inspected his son, with the way he said his words with such conviction and dejection, there was a major possibility that he was telling the truth. Even if he was lying, Sebastian has a tell. One that Kaz won’t reveal to him, much to his dismay.

“Do you mind if I tell them you’re awake?” Kaz asked. _ What happened? _

Meza appeared from around the corner, “Glad to see you are up, Sebastian,” her optic drifted over to Dove. “I see my daughter hasn’t woken up yet.”

“She will, I have faith,” Sebastian said. “Are you going to get the rest of the family?” he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Don’t do that, Seb,” Kaz chided. “I know why you do that, but I need you to be serious.”

Sebastian sighed, “Habit, you know as well as I do that those are heard to break… I’m sleepy,” he mumbled a minute later.

“Guess our conversation will have to wait. Get well, Seb,” Kaz said before squeezing his shoulder and leaving the room.

A day later, all four of them were in Sebastian’s hospital room, with Ghosts included. Sebastian began his story and he told them everything, and every detail he could remember, omitting the more intimate moments with Faye. He still wondered where his armor was, probably in Aunty Sen’s care. When Sebastian asked what time it was, it was almost midnight, and the painkillers were beginning to take effect. While telling the story, he could see their doubt in his story, but he swears the truth. He wouldn’t lie about it. Then again, when he gets out of the hospital he won’t be talking much to anyone. He wanted to talk to two people. Dove and Faye. The two things that he longed for. Only one of them existed now.

When everyone left the room, Sebastian let himself go to sleep, yet he remained aware of his surroundings. The painkillers dulled his pain, obviously, and some of his senses. Yet, his senses are sharper than most. He slept peacefully until he heard voices. “Are you sure that this is the correct room?”

“Of course, Guardian. He’s been here for a few days,” the voice, which sounded like a Ghost. _ Who was coming? _ His heart rate went up, but then calmed himself, less his heart rate monitor give him away. The room was silent, their footsteps were silent. _ A Hunter? _

“Why does he have to be the one to suffer? It should have been me, and you know it.” With Sebastian’s drug-addled mind, he couldn’t recognize the voice. Since it was also pitch black in the room since the monitors would only show if authorized personnel were to view it, or immediate family. Since Guardians don’t usually have immediate family, they normally are their fireteam.

“Well, you were with him for a time, so you know how it was Guardian. He saw a lot and fought a lot. There are many things that could be happening to him psychologically,” the Ghost said factually.

“I was, but I barely remember most of it. There’s no way I’ll be able to remember absolutely everything, but I just feel safe around him. Something tells me I always did.”

Sebastian didn’t hear the rest of the conversation as his drugs kicked into overdrive and he started to drift off. Throughout the conversation, he was content, and the voice helped him go to sleep easier, a soft smile on his face.

* * *

The next day, he was released from the hospital and he required his armor. He had to make sure it was still there. Thankfully, Senea was the one who got the armor, because the Sword was one memento that he fully intended to keep and use. Once he reacquired his armor, he was debriefed by Cayde, who was glad to see him, but Sebastian couldn’t hide how he actually was. Cayde knew the kid his entire 5th and 6th reset, so he could tell if something was wrong. The Sebastian he knew was usually a lot more upbeat. This wasn’t him, something to note into his file. However, Cayde knew he wouldn’t be able to process anything properly, so he let him go.

When he left the room, he asked the lovely Vanguard across from him to keep an eye on him from one of her Hidden. While the Exo Vanguard was glad that he was back. Whatever happened to him changed him.

Once he left the Vanguard Hall there was stlll something on his mind: Who visited him last night? He didn’t bring it up to anyone, but he spent the day back in his apartment. He fiddled with Dove’s shell, but it looks broken beyond repair. Then again, it was broken in several places. Strange how he doesn’t remember that. The good thing is, he had other shells made as a backup. So, Sebastian went to his closet and opened it up, to notice one of them missing. _ Was someone in here? _ Sebastian grabbed the knife he keeps above the door frame inside the closet and he slowly went around his humble abode looking for any inconsistencies.

When he found none, he put the knife back into its spot and went to go finish putting Dove back into a shell. He knew that Ghosts don’t like to be seen without a shell, it was ‘embarrassing beyond belief’. When he was finished connecting the last piece, Dove’s optic burst to life. “Woah, what happened? Why do I feel so woozy?”

“Dove, good to see you up and about, finally,” Sebastian said, drawing the Ghost’s attention. Attention he was happy to receive. It’s been a draining few days.

When she noticed her surroundings, her _ very _ familiar surroundings, she squealed, “We’re back home?!” Dove was more concerned with her Guardian’s well-being

The Hunter let out a sad smile, before pulling the dog tags out from his pocket, “Yeah, we are.” His voice was straining to be kept level.

Dove’s mood immediately plummeted and she comforted her Guardian the best way she knew how cuddling in his neck. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Pff, I barely remember five days ago. I remember waking up in a Vex infested room with Kaz, Senea, and Verra. Senea has been analyzing my story, which they probably think I am insane. Might get a nice comfy straight jacket,” he said, tears beginning to leak out of his eyes.

“Do you want to go see them?” Dove asked gently, knowing her Guardian was fragile at the current moment.

Sebastian sniffed before wiping away his tears and pocketing the dog tags, “Sure, do you still have your memories?” If anything, he still had those. No one may believe him, but to him, there were real. Everything he felt was real.

“Checking…” Dove paused, a gleeful expression on her optic, “I do, all video dating from... Well, a lotta years ago. It seems my internal clock was adjusted for that period of time.”

“So, we departed when?” Sebastian asked, standing up, and dressing to go for a casual stroll.

“September 15th is when we were off the map, and my first recorded date there was July 25th in the year 2552,” Dove confirmed. This brightened Sebastian immensely.

“We need to go see them now. Contact Meza, Kex, and Cahal. They all need to hear this. The good thing is, Meza did miss you. She was concerned for you,” Sebastian said going to the door, and Dove followed over his shoulder. When he opened the door, the three people he wanted to see were standing there. “Scratch that.”

“Good, we were about to see you,” Kaz said, looking to Dove. “Glad to see you’ve awake and recovered.”

Dove huffed, digging her claws into them, “You think my Guardian is crazy, don’t you?”

Senea whistled, looking to Sebastian, “Wow. That fast, huh?”

He shrugged, “Well, from when I was telling you, you all had a doubt in your eyes. Kaz, I actually figured you out first,” Sebastian said, inviting them in, and walking away from the door. Kaz was not surprised, but impressed. “Then, Verra, and then Senea. Your Ghosts, I dunno. I do, however, have proof. Dove, the video files please.”

“Sure thing, Guardian,” Dove chirped before she showed her video logs and dates, making sure to enlarge those dates. There are a multitude of dates dating 2552, a year that has already passed here in this world. “Would you like me to play one?”

“One that doesn’t embarrass me,” Sebastian said, sitting down, prompting them to do the same. Dove picked a video of when they first met, when he first declared he was helping them. Then, it went back to Sword base, skipping the interrogation, and then just some random moments that happened. 

Then, Dove picked a video when she was in Faye’s care. There were some words, but it was a video of Dove being held by Faye. She looked over to her Guardian to see him stiffen. This was when they fell off the building. This was something he never saw, didn’t bother asking, so this was new to him.

_ “What does his ‘Light’ feel like?” _Faye’s voice said, which Sebastian was sure that she was really curious about what his Light could do. Her helmet was off, so Dove was getting a good angle of her face.

“She’s cute,” Senea mumbled offhandedly, to which Sebastian sent her a glare. That didn’t go unnoticed by Verra or Kaz.

Dove’s explanation was next in the message, _ “Depends on the element. His Sol Attunement feels like a small Sun or just a large campfire, except it covers every angle, no spots left cold. His Arc Attunement is a constant rush of adrenaline, always hopped up, always fidgeting, eager for the next fight. As for Void Attunements, he doesn’t possess it, as of yet. He knows what it can do but it comes at great risk, not just to himself, but to others around him. He’s said it before, I believe; that one can lose their minds if it overpowers them. The Void is a delicate balance, a very thin line, for Hunters that is. Warlocks and Titans have it easy compared to the latter. They have a natural attunement whilst Hunters have to forge their attunement. We call them ‘Nightstalkers’, and not many even exist, so much so, that they’ve almost become extinct.” _

“You know you possess it now, right?” Verra drawled out.

Sebastian flared the Light until it took over his eyes and his robotic arm lit up, giving it an ethereal glow, “Gee, what was your first clue?” he retorted jokingly. “This was before I got it when I was… incapacitated.”

“You let her go with an unknown entity,” Kaz said, reminding him of the rules.

“Rules didn’t exactly exist in that universe, and I trusted her more than the others. Hmm, I wonder what ONI will do when they figure out I’m not there,” he mused.

“ONI?” Senea inquired.

“Office of Naval Intelligence. The Spooks, boogymen, Babba Yagga, whatever tickles your fancy,” Sebastian shrugged. “I had an agent interested in me because I never exactly changed out of my armor. Plus, from what I learned about the Spartan program, the armor was made for the person wearing it.”

“Alright, there any other files of interest?” Kaz asked, seeing the validity in his son’s prior claims.

“Just one,” Dove replied meekly.

Dove knew what it was going to do, but she had to prove to them that he was happier there, even in a difficult time. It was one of the last ones Dove recorded._ “No, but could you repeat what you said when we first arrived in this area?” _Sebastian’s eyes widened right there.

“Dove! You didn’t tell me that you recorded that!” Sebastian shouted as his cheeks became flushed. Underneath the embarrassment, he felt guilt. Something that no one else but Dove picked up on, making her feel guilt as well.

“Oh, did you get some?” Kaz teased the younger Hunter. “Wouldn’t be surprised, she is pretty and is totally your type.”

Sebastian’s voice played back with his stammer,_ “Uhm… I, uh… well, you see… uhm…” _

“Nice play, slick,” Verra joked, smiling at Sebastian. Senea just winked at him.

The next events were them taking their helmets off as Faye teased him with a smile_ , “So are you going to say it?” _ The next thing that played was their passionate kiss, to which Sebastian wanted to dig a hole and die in embarrassment. A few wolf whistles were thrown around, but mostly it was teasing from Kaz.

“Least you’re passionate in the simple things,” Senea noted.

“Care to share with the rest of the class? Sounds like you have experience in that field,” Sebastian teased the Awoken Warlock.

“No comment,” her skin glowed in her sheepish expression.

_ “I love you, Faye Lockhart,” _said Sebastian’s voice. Hearing himself say it, made his heart flutter even though this is a past version of him. Yet, a pang of hurt lingered.

_ “I love you too, Sebastian Rutherford,” _was Faye’s response. To which he sighed in despair, that would be the first and last he would ever hear those words again.

“Well, we know you weren’t lying. Better throw out those plans, Senea,” Verra said, throwing her under the bus.

“You had plans? For what?” Sebastian inquired before shaking his head and saying, “Nope, never mind, I don’t wanna know.” Then, he said, “Wait, where is the Hammer?”

“That’s in my lab, people got a glance at it and wanted to know what it is. We told them it was classified, and those that ask questions or attempt to sneak a peek at it will suffer an this is no idle threat. It’s-” Kaz was cut off by the student.

“-a promise. I know Hunters don’t make idle threats, Kaz,” Sebastian finished. Kaz chuckled in response. Verra and Senea smiled. “Would I be allowed to see it? I mean, I _ was _ the one who brought it back.”

“Fine, but do not touch it.” Senea acquiesced before pouting.

“I’ll touch it if I want to, Sen. It’s one piece I still have of her,” his mood plummeted after that. The room took a noticeable downturn.

“Well, Seb, I am getting you some Ramen, on me,” Kaz offered. While food sounded good right now. He just couldn’t bring himself to do so.

“Raincheck on that? I need to you know, get dressed if I decide to go anywhere. That, and I need time to adjust,” Sebastian joked. Hopefully, the look in his eyes was hidden. Verra and Senea accepted it without complaint. Kaz was hesitant, but eventually left, but not before Meza nuzzled Dove and gave her a once over. Cahal and Kex did the same, but not to the extent of Meza’s examination. They did miss her.

“Dove, sweetie, be sure to tell me all about your adventures. I’m interested in hearing more about this world,” Meza cooed.

Dove sighed before chirping, “Yes, Ma, I promise, now shoo.”

Meza feigned hurt, “The nerve!” She dropped the act, “Seriously, take care. See you around.”

“Bye,” she responded. She immediately turned towards her Guardian whose mood was getting worse. His whole aura screamed ‘help’.

When they left, Sebastian pulled out Faye’s dog tags, and he wondered how he got them. He did grab her hand before he passed out, but she never had them out. Whatever the reason was, he was glad to have it. The tears came back and through the pain, he smiled. He just wanted to hear her voice. Turning the tags over, he noticed the Noble Team Symbol. That gave him an idea, which brightened his eyes, “Dove, get the armor, I have an idea.”

* * *

Over the course of the next few months, Sebastian took his armor and detailed it to look like a Spartan, but to a lesser extent. The Noble Team symbol was embroidered on it. He kept the Sword at his side, using it when he needed to. His cloak was still the same, but there was a piece of the fabric with the Noble Team symbol that he sewed into it. It has been six months since he arrived back into his world. Compared to Faye’s world, his was peaceful, in the manner of not waking up in the middle of a warzone. Still, that didn’t help his nightmares every night.

Every night since then has been a nightmare. They range from simple of him getting tortured, watching Noble Team be killed, to the worst of all: Watching Faye be killed over and over. Each time he was out of reach, and he had to watch while _ they _ laughed at him.

Now, he barely sleeps, barely eats and Dove is extremely worried. Sebastian used to be sociable, and now he is a recluse. People don’t approach him as much, and if they do, they better have a good reason. He takes the extreme patrols on Earth that take multiple Guardians to even put a dent in it. Sebastian walks in and out without a problem. Sometimes, he walks to his patrols, where applicable, but does take his ship, which he asked Amanda, who was shocked to see him, to take out the jump drive until further notice. He just needed to get back into it and restricting himself was a great first step. With his new armor, he looks like a different person. He acts like a different person, and that worries Dove. He may be getting Dissociative Identity Disorder, something to channel his pain into.

The time has changed him. The time he would normally go the Crucible, he doesn’t. The one time he went into the Crucible, let’s just say, Shaxx couldn’t be more proud, and Sebastian couldn’t be more feared. No one knows it is him, he uses an entirely different loadout. It shows, but there are some good days where he realizes what he is becoming and tries to fix it. For now, that persona has taken a backseat. It comes out less often, but it was still worrying. Even more so when his mentors asked and checked up on him. Little did Sebastian know, they already knew and were ready to intervene if necessary.

Sebastian continued to be in his alter ego. This was where he put Faye’s stuff, on his person, at least the tags. Speaking of them, he pulled out the dog tags from a special slot in his armor and gently ran his fingers over it. To see her name, her designation, her rank, even her blood type, it makes the ache in his heart throb. The only semblance of pain he’s felt since, at least like this. While mostly everyone doesn’t know who it is, they leave him alone, not wanting to suffer his wrath.

Dove does her best to cheer him up, sometimes it is more effective than others, but she is trying. She wants to get him help, but he refuses. He says it is his ‘penance’. Penance shemance. That doesn’t mean Dove has given up, she’s been looking for any traces of Faye in the Tower. Every new Ghost that she sees, she looks at their ID and sees if their Guardian is named something close. Dove shields her own ID, just to disengage the curious. Even in her persona, she gets a new shell. While she shouldn’t be suckered into it, she wants her Guardian to feel better. So far, there has been no luck on either front, for Faye or her Guardian in recent days. If she was here, then it is possible that she doesn’t remember much. That’s the thing for all Guardians, you get resurrected as a Guardian, and lose most, if not, all of your memories. That would kill Sebastian if the person he loved was there, but not the same.

Even still, Sebastian has felt a presence over these past few months, watching him. More so in this persona. The armor stood out, so it wasn’t be expected that he gets countless curious looks, but one always stuck with him. He ignored it for the most part. He acted like it was an everyday occurrence, which in some cases, it was. Still, his eyes tried to find who it was, but nothing caught his eye until a flash of movement on the top railing caught his attention. The figure was looking right at him, and he swore he saw a familiar visor looking right at him. Sebastian sprung into action. The figure noticed this as well and bolted.

Sebastian jumped right up to them and tried to grab the cloak that was covering the person’s form and noticed their footsteps were silent. _ The visitor from the hospital? _ His speed slowed as he rationalized the thought. The person was across the Courtyard, both of them becoming a spectacle to those present. That was until the figure transmatted away. He felt crestfallen before steeling himself and walking away. He would have to figure this out at a later date.

* * *

When they watched the person that has been dubbed, ‘Reaper’ walk away did the figure remove the hood. “Is this what you wanted?” the voice was feminine

“It got his attention, didn’t it?” the figure next to the female said, a male voice.

The female scoffed, “Do you know how much it kills me to be away from him? They’ve been coming back in my sleep, just begging to go to him.” The female paused, “What about you? How’s he going to take you lying to him?”

The male chuckled, “It’s not lying if he doesn’t ask. Far as I know, he’s never asked about you. On a less serious note, are you ever going to change out of the armor?”

“Not until we both come clean. You know it’s him, but you won’t confront him?” the Female asked.

The male sighed, as if they’ve had this conversation before, “You and I both know that pressing him on the issue will only make him repress it even more?”

“What does your ‘Fireteam’’ think about this?” she asked.

The make chuckled lightly, “They convinced me to reach out to you in the first place. I mean, I don’t know how he didn’t see you in the first few days, especially since you visited him in the hospital.” The female balled her fists. She thought no one noticed. “I knew because I keep an eye on him at all times. I know who the ‘Reaper’ is. You do too, I’m sure your Ghost scanned the object in his hands.”

“Of course I know what those were. I’d know what they are because I was the one who wore them.”

* * *

A few weeks later, Sebastian went out for a few bowls of Ramen alone. He didn’t have time to entertain anyone else. Old friends came to greet him, old flames tried to seduce him, but he was so _ tired _ . Tired of waiting. If anything, this was minor compared to almost a decade ago. Still, it didn’t stop him from eating three bowls of the spiciest Ramen in thirty minutes. Then, he got up, left a generous tip in Glimmer, and just sat there, staring at the Traveler, wondering why it pulled him. He was clearly better off where he was, with her. _ Wow, am I getting over it? _ The times he usually thinks about her, he just shifts back into a shadow of his former self.

After he was done here, he was going back to his place to sleep it off. Tomorrow was another patrol, but this one was easy. He just had to clear out a Fallen cave, check for supplies, and head home. He was going as himself, not this ‘Reaper’. Ironically, the Reaper wasn’t doing much reaping lately. It was better as a dark spot in his speckled past.

He stood up and was about to leave when a Guardian came up, a newbie. He was a Warlock, all nervous, “Are you Sebastian Rutherford?”

“I am,” he noticed the note in his hand, “That for me?” The young Warlock nodded and hand him the note before scurrying off to the library, probably. Sebastian smiled at the thought.

Dove spoke, and she has been silent for a few days. Both of them know they are in a tough spot. Their relationship has strained a little since his reaping days, but Sebastian has been trying to make amends. “You know, you scared him, right?”

A scoff, “How? I’m sitting here eating Ramen, how is that scary?”

The Ghost tsked, “Maybe if you didn’t have the Sword hilt visible, then maybe you would be approachable.”

“I’ve started to make rules for myself, like this one; Rule number 9, never go anywhere without a knife,” Sebastian supplied.

“What happened to rules 1-8? Why does it have to be _ that _ knife? Because it looks intimidating?” Dove teased.

Sebastian sensed the familiar dynamic and smiled, reaching his eyes, something Dove took note of and was swelled with pride. “Rules 1-8 exist, but they aren’t defined. I like the feel of this one, sentimental reasons. I’ve been using this one for almost a year or more, it doesn’t feel that long ago, doesn’t it?”

Dove sighed, “No, it doesn’t. Now, open the note. I could have already read it, but I want my reaction to be genuine.”

“Fine, fine,” Sebastian acquiesced. He opened the note and while his smile stayed in place, it faltered.

“What is it?” Dove asked, noticing the change.

“We’ll be busy tomorrow night,” Sebastian said, showing Dove the note.

_ Reaper, meet at Twilight Gap, tomorrow night at 1900. Do NOT be late. Or you might just find yourself being exposed. _

“Blackmail, really? They resorted to this and what are we going to- why aren’t you concerned?” Dove asked, flustered at her Guardian’s nonchalance.

Sebastian looked at his Ghost with a serious expression, “I knew I was going to slip up eventually, everyone does. I already have a plan in place in case it ever gets out. I knew that if I outed, I would be revered poorly. I planned to leave for years if that is what it took. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”

“I trust you, you know that right?” Dove asked with a small voice.

“I know you do, even when I gave you reasons why you shouldn’t and I can’t thank you enough for that,” Sebastian stroked her shell, in a silent thanks. “I’ll spend years making it up to you.”

**…**

After that, the night came and Sebastian went, of course, he was packing all of his necessary weapons. Just in case something goes wrong. He walked there because it would give him time to form plans. As always, Sebastian does what he has to do, climb a cliff face to reach his destination. He prefers the workout, and to make sure he’s in tip-top shape.

When he reached the top, he sat right on the Alpha cliffside, staring right at the Traveler, which was still whole. He did feel someone watching him and it was familiar. “You’re not who I expected, but I can’t say I’m surprised.”

The voice came back, “Did you expect someone else?”

Sebastian huffed, “Nope. Can’t say I’m surprised though; you would be the first one to notice that something was off about me. You’ve always had me dialed in.”

The person came and sat right next to him, “When _ were _ you going to tell me?”

“...”

“You weren’t going to, then.” The man sighed, “I wasn’t the only one worried about you.”

Sebastian sighed, “It took me three years or so before I accepted that she was gone for good. No matter how much I kept denying it, she was gone for good. This time, it’s taken less, and may it was because of the circumstances of what transpired. I just… I don’t know, Kaz.”

Kaz stood up and then held out a hand to him, “Come on, we need to talk ‘Reaper’.”

Grabbing his hand and standing up, “I didn’t come up with it.”

“You’re right, the people did after that Crucible match. Really? A seventy-four kill streak?” Kaz raised his voice.

“Listen, I was in a dark place at that time, and I’d much rather not revisit it. I gave it a rest and I only wear it when I want to be left alone. I’m not proud of it,” Sebastian huffed.

Kaz chuckled, “I mean it was impressive and well, that was one of my concerns. However, that was not why I brought you here.”

The younger Hunter regarded his superior, “Then why did you?” His hand went to his Sword. He was prepared to fight if it came down to it.

“It’s not why I brought you. It’s who wanted you here?” Kaz said cryptically.

Sebastian frowned, not already liking it. That was a very shortlist. Ever since he went missing almost a year ago. Not many talk to him now. They seemed to have understood, or at least there was something he didn’t know. “Am I going to regret asking who?”

“No, but you may or may not hate me for this. I did have to keep it a secret at her request. Otherwise, I would have told you,” Kaz admitted.

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed, “What are you keeping from me?” The background was no longer important.

“To be fair, she was desperate for help and she only mentioned you, but given your state at the time, I decided that it wasn’t the best idea to expose you to her. Do you still carry them around?” Kaz skirted around the question, which was infuriating.

“I do carry them around, yes. Now, answer my question, who?” Sebastian bit.

“I mean, instead of getting pissy at me, you could just give them back to the owner,” Kaz said, avoiding the question, yet answering it at the same time.

The dots were slowly connecting as the color drained from Sebastian’s face, “You better be fucking joking or I swear…”

“He’s not lying, Sebastian.” A third voice said, causing Sebastian whip around and his eyes bulged.

“No no no no no… This is impossible. This is a joke. There is no way you’re here unless…” Sebastian was mumbling incoherent phrases and words.

“I think I broke him, Kaz,” the newcomer said.

He sighed, “I think you did too.”

Dove was scanning the individual, then popped into existence, “How do I know you’re real?”

_ “Because I’m real too!” _ a fourth voice said. Sebastian snapped to attention, his mind reeling from the recent overflow of information. Then, the voice appeared. It was a Ghost. The third person’s Ghost. It was _ Faye’s _ Ghost. Its shell was normal, so must be really recent.

“Wait…” Sebastian recovered, “were you the Spark the Traveler gave me?!”

“Yup yup!” they cheered, “Name’s Eve. You obviously know my Guardian.”

“Is this what you couldn’t tell me, Sebastian?” Dove said, slightly hurt.

Sebastian groaned, “I tried to tell you, but remember I somehow wasn’t allowed to?” He looked right at the third person, then glared right at his mentor. “I should be pissed off, and I should do what I did to the Covenant after…” he trailed off.

“Please don’t remind me, Sebastian,” the female said, causing Sebastian to flinch.

“So you remember that?” he winced as he waited for the answer.

The female sighed, “First thing I did remember. However, Eve can tell you more than I could.”

Sebastian approached the figure, “Faye…” he mumbled.

“It’s me. For real. I’m sorry I put you through this, but I didn’t know if you would actually believe me.” She spoke to Kaz, “Thank you for helping me.”

“As long as he remains happy, I’m ok. Sebastian, treat her right. No funny business and your curfew is at eleven,” he teased.

“Where do you want the bullet?” Sebastian asked, tone changing, aiming his gun.

Kaz laughed, “Only you would show up armed, I’ll see you back at the Tower. Try not to be here in a few hours. Shaxx has got a match scheduled for tomorrow. Best not be here when it starts, otherwise, you’ll be joining in.”

When he left, neither one spoke, but on instinct, they hugged, “Is it really you?”

“Yes, it is,” she whispered.

Sebastian didn’t want to let go, “What happened? Last I remember is shoving the Spark, Eve I guess, into your chest and passing out.”

“This is where I come in,” Eve interjected. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all, I’m listening,” both of the embracing people said in unison.

* * *

_I didn’t k__now when I came into existence, but I always knew that I had to find my Guardian. I was chosen for a different purpose. I didn’t know what it was for, but I also knew that I had to be with you first, Sebastian. The Traveler had me created from the simple shard you found on the planet Reach. There were a lot of things I didn’t understand. The first was that I had to be with a Guardian that already had a Ghost._ _The second was that I couldn’t be with my Guardian until you let me. Which was really infuriating if you ask me._

_ All that time you spent around her, I got to know her. I got to see just how much she loves you. I got to see what her world was like. I got an experience that few Ghosts get to have: Knowing their Guardian before their resurrection. I was hoping that you would reveal me sooner, but when she got knocked out that one time, you know what I am referencing to, and that beam shot out of you and into her neck? Well, that was me, getting my connection established to her and right then and there, I knew for certain she was my Guardian. You obviously didn’t know about my true purpose, but I had to at least have some semblance of connection to her soul. _

_ When I watched her die, I was overflooded with emotion and that must have been from you. I helped flood your rampage, I was in a disarray of emotions and my outlet fueled your rage. When it ended, it seemed you remembered where I was. You pulling me out of your chest should have killed you, and well… it did. You died, fully, permanently, and if had it not been for the Traveler, you would have stayed dead. _

_ Hold that look of shock and hold all questions until the end. _

_ Back to my original point, when you pushed me inside my Guardian’s chest, I did what I could to heal her. I closed the wound on her neck. Then she woke a few moments later, however, we were on Earth. The other side of the globe on Earth. She was confused at first, wondering where she was, who she was, and who you were. For all intents and purposes, you died right there, holding her hand, not wanting to be let go. She asked me who she was and with explicit permission from the Traveler, I explained to her who she was. I know it is against all Guardian regulations, but I saw you two together. You never felt more fulfilled than when you admitted your love for each other. I didn’t want that to be torn away. You both deserve so much happiness and I wanted to make sure you both got that. _

_ Before we knew it, a Light engulfed the entire area and then we were dumped here on Earth, in your world. Without any explanation. Well, I had an idea, but she didn’t. So, she wandered aimlessly, and I told her to avoid most civilizations, because of her armor. She didn’t want to get rid of it, and I don’t blame her. It is unique. Much like your new modified armor, Sebastian. It was sentimental. You didn’t want to be rid of a pleasant memory. _

_ As for where we were, we ended up somewhere in the old United States, like Maine? I don’t remember seeing a town name. She and I wandered for a few weeks until we were picked up by a routine sweep of the area. It just so happened to be… what was her name… Verra? Yeah, that’s her. Anyway, she brought Faye in and asked what she was wearing, who she was, to what she can remember. When she mentioned you, her tone changed to playful to serious. It was scary. At that point, I had to explain that you were there and some of what happened. _

_ As for Faye’s questions when she was revived, in the armor she has on now, she asked why you were still warm. I regretfully informed her that you had died, so that I may be here. I answered her questions, gave her the spiel about her being my Guardian and me, her Ghost. She asked if there was any information on her, so she could see what kind of a person she was. Her memories kicked in when she was shown her file, the one Dove managed to get her fins on. Good on you, by the way, it was what _ truly _ started her recovery. Her memories came back, her muscle memory never left. _

_ While we were out there, she learned all about the Fallen, and Eilkinsi, thanks to a little child named Sullivan. He was a Guardian as well, been alive for centuries. He knew how to speak the language fluently. Then, we learned about the Cabal, Hive, Vex, and Taken. We didn’t touch too much on that, but it was for a basic understanding. _

_ When we found her Light, it was like something clicked. She was doing a random patrol, finding some lost books for a local Warlock. When, she just exploded into a rage, forming a Hammer. Which made me so proud, like you don’t even know. She was a natural Sunbreaker. Her Light flared and it picked up the attention of three individuals, one we already knew. _

_ Don’t hold back the shock, you two. They knew. This was before they found your SOS. Obviously, they were concerned who she was, but once I made an appearance, and confirmed that this was no mistake, the nerve of them, they brought us back to the Tower. She didn’t remember her name when they asked. It was something she never really thought about. Of course, with me showing her her file, she chose Faye. The last name though, she left alone, for reasons beyond me. _

_ When they found your SOS, she wanted to show up, but they didn’t let her. For a time, it was best if she sat back and let them handle it. When they brought you back, they didn’t expect you to be so heartbroken. It got worse once you got out. The night we visited you, she wanted to reveal herself. When you nodded off, yes I could tell you were awake, I told her that it was not a good idea. You might have taken her for a trick or delusion of some kind. That would hurt you both in the long run. I have to say, I am a sucker for Romance, especially yours. _

_ Anyway, we had to hide. We watched you spiral from a distance, you may put on a front for others, especially them, but they knew, and they felt guilty for it, but in their actions, they forgot about her. They were merely worried about your story. From my accounts, and Dove’s, we managed to prove that Faye was indeed from a different world, but now she belongs here. It was lucky she remembers herself and you. The reason why is because of an emotional attachment she formed with you. It ran deeper than anything. The heart doesn’t forget who it wanted. _

_ Your Reaper escapades were something else though. I didn’t know how such a sweet and carefree person can be that dark, but I am glad that you were able to mostly kick the habit. _

_ It took some convincing, but she eventually went up to you, and well, more memories came in from the symbol you adorned on Reaper and then the dog tags. Which, you mind giving those to her? _

* * *

Sebastian and Faye released from their hug, before she pulled off her helmet. Her face was as beautiful as he remembered. Not that he could forget it. “Should we head back to the Tower, that way we can talk more?”

“Talk? Or are you planning something?” Faye teased.

Against all things, Sebastian blushed, “I’m not one to normally rush into things, but I would like to do all the things I wanted to do before. Like a date?”

Faye laughed, and Sebastian’s eyes lit up at hearing the wonderful sound. It was truly the first time he really heard it. “I would very much like that. I have one request though,” she said.

“Should I be worried?” asked Sebastian. Faye shook her head. “What is it?”

Faye smirked, “I want you to wear your Reaper armor and then I’m going to walk with you into the Tower. Basically, be the one to ‘tame’ the Reaper.”

“Out of all things, that is what you want? To tame me?” Sebastian asked incredulously.

“Yeah, because I know you based it off my armor,” Faye gestured to her form. “I still have that technology about those barriers.”

“Good. When we get done ‘parading’ though, I want you to watch those files with me. I think it would do a lot of good for you. Plus, you may get more memories back, that is only if you want to,” Sebastian said, somewhat awkwardly. 

Faye smiled, before pecking his cheek, “I’d like that, now, let’s go to the Tower, Reaper.”

“I swear, I want to put it behind me, but I’ll do it for you. Dove, can we go back to the Tower?”

Dove decided to tease, “What happened to walking?”

“Just get the ship, please,” he drawled.

The sun was beginning to come up over the Horizon and they both just waited for the ship to come in. They both sat at the edge and just relished in each other’s presence. Sebastian’s heart was being mended, just being here. He should probably thank the Traveler for basically breaking the space-time continuum for him. He hasn’t been this happy for a long time. There was a time that he wished he died, but now, he wants nothing more than to live.

“Hey, Faye?”

“Hmm?” she asked, looking away from the beautiful skyline and the Traveler.

“Why didn’t you take a last name? I’m sure you wanted to have your name back,” his tone expressed confusion.

“Well, from the file, I thought about it, but that wasn’t me, you know? That Faye Lockhart died on Reach, which shouldn’t be as weird to say as it is, but I think this is time for me to move on.”

Sebastian was genuinely curious, “What did you have in mind?”

Faye flushed bright red, matching the sky, “I… I was hoping that I could use yours…” When Sebastian didn’t respond, she sputtered, “Un-unless you don’t w-want me to, I-” she was cut off as his lips covered hers. Faye was surprised but eased into the contact, instinctually.

Dove and Eve were off to the side watching. Eve spoke, “Well, safe to say that he accepts?”

“Most definitely, I am still mad he couldn’t tell me about you,” Dove huffed, rotating her shell.

“Yeah… sorry about that, but I asked the Traveler for it to be that way,” Eve apologized.

“We should probably break them up, so that way they don’t have sex on the floor, right before a Crucible match,” Eve suggested.

“I concur, but don’t ever phrase it like that again,” Dove’s optic turned pink.

Eve saw this and teased, “Aww, is the bird a little flustered?”

“Shut it,” she weakly retorted. Dove flew over to her Guardian and unfortunately had to pull him away so he could be ready for parading. Eve did the same for Faye.

Before, he left, Faye caught his attention, “Sebastian, I love you.”

His heart swelled before he responded, “I love you too, Faye Rutherford.” There was a feeling in both of their chests, and it felt so _official_.

As they both departed, the Traveler was pleased with the outcome. While it may be ‘dead’ in the physical sense, it most certainly is not in the others. It made this all possible and it couldn’t be happier. After all, it was a chance that was beyond their reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title drop... kinda! Needed to check that off of a cliché story. Plus, I like it. When I got the idea for this story, I originally thought this was going to be a few chapters, like ten and like mid 70k words. Nope, I was wrong.
> 
> Seriously, thank you for all the Kudos, the support, even you, silent readers. I don't mind. Just having someone read my stuff is cool enough, plus I wake up to an email about who left Kudos, so thank you, again.
> 
> I will say my next story will take me to an entirely different section of FF. Y'all like a bunch of people swinging around weapons they made themselves by the time they are in high school? I don't think I could drop more of a hint than what I just did.
> 
> Anyway, seriously, thank you for all the love and support. I appreciate all of you. If you're reading this a year from now, this applies to you as well.
> 
> Final word count is, 172,320. Like holy hell, I wrote a lot.
> 
> From the author,
> 
> Soul of Horus

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A New Light](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21995035) by [TimeL0rdofDestiny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimeL0rdofDestiny/pseuds/TimeL0rdofDestiny)


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